WARWICK — Reverend George P. Behan, 88, Pastor Emeritus of St. William Parish in Warwick, died on Sunday, April 1, 2018.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, son of the late George P. and Gwendolyn M. (Pike) Behan, he attended Newport public schools and De La Salle Academy in Newport.
In preparation for the priesthood, he studied at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick, Rhode Island, at St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland, and at the American College in Louvain, Belgium. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 1, 1956 at the American College in Louvain by Bishop Russell J. McVinney.
Father Behan served as assistant pastor at the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Providence (1956-58) and at St. Paul Parish, Cranston while teaching at Our Lady of Providence Seminary, Warwick (1958-63). In September 1963, he was appointed Chaplain at Stella Maris Home, teacher at De La Salle Academy, and director of the Catholic Information Center, all in Newport. In 1968, he became Chaplain at the Corpus Christi Carmel, Newport, while retaining his teaching position. Father Behan then served as assistant pastor at Sacred Heart Parish, East Providence (1970-74), before completing a year of pastoral studies at St. Joseph Community, Minneapolis (1974-75). He returned to the Diocese as Catholic Chaplain at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston (1975-76). In 1976, Father was named pastor of St. Jude Parish, Lincoln, and served there until 1997, when he was transferred to St. William Parish, Warwick, from where he retired in 2004 as pastor emeritus. In 1989, Father Behan completed sabbatical studies at the School of Applied Theology, Berkeley, California. In retirement, Father Behan resided at St. Joseph Rectory, Newport. At the time of his death, he was living at St. Clare Home, Newport.
In addition to his parish and teaching duties, Father Behan served as a member of the Priests’ Senate of the Diocese of Providence (1967); as New England Director and Chaplain of the Family Life Movement (1961-64); and as a leader in the Cursillo Retreat Movement. During his retirement years, Father was a weekend mission preacher for Catholic Relief Services.
Father Behan leaves two sisters, Mrs. Julianne Kelly and Sr. Mary M. Behan, SSJ, both of Massachusetts.
A Concelebrated Mass of Christian Burial was offered on April 6, 2018 at St. Joseph Church, Mann Avenue in Newport with Father Raymond Tetrault as the main celebrant and homilist. Auxiliary Bishop Robert C. Evans and other priests concelebrated the funeral Mass. Burial was in St. Columba Cemetery in Middletown.
