About James Devlin
Lived 1916 – 1998 (aged 81). James Devlin was a missionary.
James Joseph "Father Joe" Devlin, SJ (December 27, 1916 – February 25, 1998) was an American Catholic priest and one of three American Jesuits during the Vietnam War who went to Vietnam to aid refugees. He was important in securing the passage of several thousand Cambodian refugees to America.
Devlin was born in San Francisco, where his family lived at 431 Jersey Street. He later joined the Jesuits and became a missionary to Vietnam.
In April 1975, Devlin escaped before the fall of Saigon and was evacuated by helicopter to the .
He built an orphanage in Thailand which housed, fed, and schooled several hundred abandoned children.
After Devlin's death, his brother, Fr Raymond Ambrose Devlin, wrote his biography, which he entitled Cha.
Devlin died in 1998 in Los Gatos, California.
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Important facts
People in James Devlin's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped James Devlin's
Frequently asked questions
Who was James Devlin?
American missionary
When was James Devlin born?
James Devlin was born on 27 December 1916.
When did James Devlin die?
James Devlin died on 25 February 1998.
What was James Devlin's occupation?
James Devlin was a missionary.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: James Devlin (priest)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). James Devlin. https://biography.guide/james-devlin/
MLA: "James Devlin." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/james-devlin/.
Chicago: "James Devlin." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/james-devlin/.
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