Bishop George R. Evans 1922-1985

“Servant of God and Man” is the motto Auxiliary Bishop George R. Evans chose to have affixed to his coat o f arms when he was elevated to the episcopacy of the Church on April 23, 1969, by Pope Paul VI. Fidelity to his chosen guiding principle earned for him the reputa tion as a “social action bishop.” A sensitive and caring man, he was always reticent about himself, preferring instead to praise the people with whom he worked. His deep concern for social justice issues came about in his first year as a bishop. Only seven months after his consecration as a bishop, he preached a sermon defending social activism and Church reform touched off by the modernization efforts o f the Second Vatican Council. Thereafter, he took highly public stands on the needs o f the poor, on housing issues, on women’s rights, on pro-life and the issue o f nuclear war. He spoke out against the M X missile, saying it went beyond any just defense. He spoke out against the U.S. government’s treatment of illegal aliens, walked picket lines became his deep concern for social was at Notre Dame,” he told the a domestic prelate by Pope Paul VI. with farmers and joined in protests justice as a youngster, but he grew Register. “I just felt attracted to the The following year Bishop Evans against the nuclear “ white train.” up in “a very Catholic family” in a priesthood. I had met a lot of good was named chancellor of the Arch A t one point, pro-abortion leaders comfortable yet modest home at priests.” He recalled that his family diocese and in 1968, the year before told Bishop Evans either to give up 616 S. York St. always thought that his brother, his consecration as a bishop, he was his membership in the anti-abortion When his parents, George and Fallon, younger by three years, was appointed vicar general. Mary moved there. Bishop Evans the more likely candidate “because On April 23, 1969, 22 members of was three years old and “it was the he was very serious and a scholar.” the hierarchy from across the coun “Catholic teaching calls for the end of the line,” he told the Fallon, a professor o f English try gathered at the cathedral, the preservation and protection of scene o f his ordination, to witness human dignity—because all Register. “When my folks moved out literature, lives in Los Angeles. human life is sacred.■ .whether there you could easily see the Bishop Evans “dropped out” of Msgr. Evans’ elevation to the those lives be of the elderly, the seminary. We could hear the bells of Notre Dame, as he said, to enter St. episcopate. The principal consecrator terminally ill, the handicapped, the Good Shepherd Convent that Thomas’ Seminary. He was ordained was Archbishop Luigi Raimondi, later the poor...or the unborn.” was on South Colorado Boulevard.” to the priesthood May 31, 1947, in Cardinal Raimondi. Coconsecrators And in that part o f Denver, the the Cathedral o f the Immaculate were Archbishop James V. Casey and movement or in the Colorado Com Polo Club, now an area of exclusive Conception by the late Archbishop Bishop Hubert Newell of Cheyenne. mittee for the Equal Rights Am end homes, was really a polo club where Urban J. Vehr. A t the ceremony. Archbishop ment. He kept working for the E R A as a youngster, he would walk His first assignment after ordination Raimondi noted that “for 21 years, — and against abortion. horses between polo matches. was as an assistant at St. Philomena’s Msgr. Evans has served the people Early in April of 1984, Bishop Evans A t St. Vincent de Paul’s Grade Church under Msgr. William Higgins. of God both as a pa.stor o f souls publicly took exception to remarks School, where the parish center is Three years later, at Msgr. Higgins’ and as an administrator in highly by Gov. Richard Lamm that the elder now named in his honor, he was suggestion, Father Evans was sent to responsible positions. He has won ly terminally ill have a “duty to die and always interested in sports “but 1 Rome to study canon law at the the respect and confidence o f his get out of the way.” was never very good,” he claimed. Apollinare, the graduate school of fellow priests and the lay members Bishop Evans pointed out that He was on the school’s first football the North American College. He of the entire communitv.” Catholic teaching “calls for the team and later, at Regis High preservation and protection of School, he played basketball. “A bishop should be concerned about housittg and health. You can’t be human dignity because human life With fondness, he recalled the much more basic than that.” is sacred. That includes all human time he and his teammates traveled life, whether those lives be of the to Chicago for the national high elderly, the terminally ill, the handi school tournament and spent a received his j.C.D. degree magna In addition to his duties as auxiliary capped, the poor, the immigrants week “ without clerical supervision. cum laude in July 1953. bishop, Archbishop Casey appointed from other countries, or the unborn.” We had a great time.” After returning from Rome, he him VTcar for Urban and Rural A f A native o f Denver, Bishop Evans Bishop Evans remained close to served briefly at Our Lady of the fairs in 1971. At one time, he was was born Sept. 25, 1922. He attended his Regis classmates and reunions Mountain Church in Estes Park pastor of St. Rose of Lima’s Parish St. Vincent de Paul’s Grade School were common even though gradua before being named to the chancery from 1976 to 1979, but found it to and Regis High School. After a tion had occurred more than 40 staff as assistant chancellor under be too much with his bishop’s schedule. year’s attendance at the University years before. Auxiliary Bishop David Maloney, However, he remained in residence at o f Notre Dame, he entered St. Thomas’ After Regis, he attended the who was then chancellor and now St. Rose of Lima’s until his death. Seminary in 1941. University of Notre Dame, where he is a retired bishop of Wichita, Kans. Earlier he served as pastor of St. In a rare interview with the first entertained the thought of In I960, he was elevated to the rank Patrick’s from 1969 to 1970. Register, Bishop Evans said he didn’t becoming a priest. o f papal chamberlain by Pope John His compassion for and his recall his parents ever fostering what “ I began to think about it while 1 XXIII, and in 1965 he was named a (Continued on Page .9 Archbishop Casey expresses loss “It is a deeply sorrowing experience to share with you the death of my Auxiliary Bishop and dear friend, George R. Evans. “Bishop Evans and I have worked together in the 7 Archdiocese of Denver for the past 18 years. Hardly a day has passed when Bishop Evans did not devote himself in a special way to helping the poc^r and the needy in some part o f the Church. He was truly a great and generous person who thc:>ught only c:>f giving service where it was needed. “ I feel a very deep sense o f loss in his passing and I am sure there are many thousands o f you who share this same deep sen se o f loss and sorrow. “ Bishop Evans was a deeply spiritual person who readily accepted whatever God had planned for him. 1 ask you to join me in praying that G od will bless him and lead him into eternal life and finally, that G od will prosper all the good works that Bishop George R. Evans began when he shared this life with us.” James V. Casey Archbishop of Denver (Continued fmm Page 2) for those on low incomes at 1300 S. he said. “ But, you know, that one-on- who experienced discrimination.” solidarity with the fxxjr became well Irving St. one work as a pastor — I miss it. And despite his hectic schedule, known. During his first years as a “ 1 broke the first rule,” he said That has been a major loss in my life.” he nearly al.vays managed to squeeze bishop, he chose to live in one of later. “ When we started out [to pro Most of his days were taken up in a daily tennis game. Tennis, Bishop the first archdiocesan housing units vide low-income housing], we said with meetings. “ Meetings, meetings, Evans said, is what kept him energized. we would not allow the priests or meetings. That’s about my life,” he He also was a former president of others to live there. But 1 paid full once .said jokingly. “ If I wake up in the Colorado Council of Churches rent. It was good advertising that it purgatory and find out that meetings and served on the Archdiocesan Photographs in this was good enough for bishops. 1 don’t count, it would be hell.” Housing Commission and the L'.S. Memorial Edition were wanted to get close to the people. If he wasn’t meetirig with peciple Bishops’ Committee on 'OCbmen in principally taken by We became very good friends.” at the Catholic Pastoral Center, he Church and Societv and Committee James Baca, Joe Motta, It was through his efforts to provide was at a meeting ot the hoard (.it tor the Laitv.

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