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Irish-born prelate From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Ryan (June 17, 1848 – July 2, 1923) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Alton in Illinois from 1888 until his death in 1923.
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James Ryan | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Alton | |
| |
| See | Diocese of Alton |
| In office | May 1, 1888 - July 2, 1923 |
| Predecessor | Peter Joseph Baltes |
| Successor | James Aloysius Griffin |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 24, 1871 by William George McCloskey |
| Consecration | May 1, 1888 by John Lancaster Spalding |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 17, 1848 Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland |
| Died | Alton, Illinois, US |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Education | St. Joseph's Colleges Preston Park Seminary |
James Ryan was born on June 17, 1848, in Thurles, County Tipperary in Ireland. When he was age seven, the family immigrated to the United States, settling in Louisville, Kentucky.[1] He studied at St. Thomas' and St. Joseph's Colleges in Bardstown, Kentucky, and at Preston Park Seminary in Louisville.[1]
Ryan was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop William George McCloskey for what was then the Diocese of Louisville on December 24, 1871.[2] After his ordination, Ryan spent several years afterwards spent a few years as a missionary and teacher
In 1877, when John Lancaster Spalding was appointed to the new Diocese of Peoria in Illinois, Ryan incardinated, or transferred to that diocese.[1] After serving pastoral assignments in Illinois at Wataga and Danville, Ryan was named rector of St. Columba's Parish at Ottawa, Illinois, in 1881.[1]
On February 28, 1888, Ryan was appointed as the third bishop of the Diocese of Alton by Pope Leo XIII.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on May 1, 1888, from Bishop Spalding, with Bishops McCloskey and John Janssen serving as co-consecrators.[2]
During his 35-year-long tenure, Ryan established 40 new churches and six hospitals and increased the number of Catholics from 70,000 to over 87,000.[3] He held the first diocesan synod in February 1889.[1] He began raising funds for a new orphanage in 1919 but died before it was completed.[3]
James Ryan died in Alton on June 2, 1923, at age 75.[2]
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