Bishop-elect Robert C. Evans was born September 2, 1947, in Moultrie, Georgia, son of the late Ivey Evans and Lolita Baldisseri who currently lives in North Providence.
He was ordained to the priesthood in 1973 in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, by then-Bishop James A. Hickey. Bishop-elect Evans was named a Prelate of Honor by Pope John Paul II in 1993 with the title of Reverend Monsignor.
He attended Providence public schools and graduated from the Our Lady of Providence Seminary High School in 1965 and received a B.A. in Philosophy from Our Lady of Providence College Seminary in Warwick upon graduating in 1969.
In 1969, the Bishop-elect was assigned to the Pontifical North American College in Rome by the Most Rev. Russell J. McVinney and where he received an S.T.B. in 1972 from the Pontifical Gregorian University and in 1973 and M.A. in Theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum).
In 1973, Bishop-elect Evans was assigned as assistant pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Westerly and in 1974, was appointed assistant pastor of Holy Angels Church in Barrington and chaplain at Roger Williams College in Bristol. In the summer of 1978, he served as assistant chaplain at Rhode Island Hospital and Roger Williams Hospital in Providence; then in September 1978 as assistant pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in North Providence. In 1979 he was assigned to St. Mark’s Parish, Cranston as assistant pastor.
Beginning his service in diocesan administration, Bishop-elect Evans was appointed Secretary to Bishop Gelineau in December, 1983, and in 1987, assigned to advanced studies in Canon Law in Rome. In 1989, he was awarded a licentiate in canon law from the Gregorian University. Upon returning to the Diocese of Providence that year, he served as vice-chancellor with residence at St. Margaret’s Parish, Rumford. In June 1991, the Bishop-elect was appointed pastor of St. Anthony’s Parish in Woonsocket, Chancellor of the Diocese of Providence and director of the Office of Priests’ Personnel. From 1992-1997 he was resident at St. Joan of Arc Parish, Cumberland and afterwards in residence at Our Lady of Mercy Parish, East Greenwich. In 2001, Bishop Mulvee released him to serve as director of the Institute for Continuing Theological Education and faculty member at the North American College in Rome.
From 2005 to 2007 Bishop-elect Evans served as Secretary at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, DC and since February 2007 has served as Pastor of St. Philip Church in Greenville, and as adjunct faculty member of the Seminary of Our Lady of Providence.
