First African-American deacon ordained for U.S. church dies

Published: 2004-01-27

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Deacon Americus M. Roy, the first African-American to be ordained to the permanent diaconate and a longtime advocate for social justice, died in Baltimore Jan. 19 after a yearlong battle with liver cancer. He was 76. A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 24 at St. Ambrose Parish, where Deacon Roy was first assigned after his ordination in 1971 and where he served for 12 years. Interment was in Garrison Forest Veterans Cemetery. In more than 30 years of ministry he served in several Baltimore parishes, was active in youth ministry and prison ministry and was instrumental in establishing the Baltimore archdiocesan Office of African-American Ministries. Therese Wilson Favors, director of that office, said, "He was able to help people make transformations in their lives in a very personal way. Those inner transformations happened because he always had the word of God in him. That made him powerful." Cardinal William H. Keeler of Baltimore said Deacon Roy was "blessed with both a wonderful faith in the Lord Jesus and with a heart full of charity for the good works of Christ."

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