1996: Writing to Mrs Clare Richards
George Stokes was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1941. Studied Theology at King’s College, London, and was ordained into the Anglican ministry in 1965 and served as a curate in a parish in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.1969, received into the Catholic Church by the Jesuits at Farm Street, London; taught in a Catholic preparatory school. He studied at St Edmund’s College, Ware (1970-1972) and at the Venerable English College, Rome (1972-1976). He was ordained by Bishop Casey at the Venerabile on 10 April 1976.
Father George was appointed as assistant priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, Leigh-on-Sea (1977-1981). In 1981 he was appointed by Bishop McMahon to the Brentwood Religious Education Service (BRES) Team, also acting as convent chaplain to the Bernardines at Westcliff-on-Sea (1981-1983) and the Ursulines at Brentwood (1983-1986).
In 1991 appointed Diocesan Director of Education. He retired 2016. He resided at Our Lady Immaculate, Chelmsford (1991-2008) and St Thomas of Canterbury, Grays (2008-2016), In 2005 he was appointed as a Domestic Prelate (Monsignor) in recognition of his service to Catholic education, nationally as well as at the diocesan level. In the autumn of 2016 he took up residence at Nazareth House, Southend-on-Sea, having being diagnosed as suffering from cancer and undergoing hospital treatment. He died at Nazareth House on the morning of 27 April 2017.
