Daniel L. Ryan
Encyclopedia
Daniel Leo Ryan is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois
from 1984 to 1999.
, Minnesota
, to Leonard and Irene (née Larson) Ryan. After one year at Cathedral Boys High School
in Springfield
, Illinois
, he entered Passionist Preparatory Seminary in St. Louis
, Missouri
. He then attended St. Procopius Seminary
in Lisle
, Illinois
, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
degree in classical languages in 1952. Ryan was ordained
to the priesthood
on May 3, 1956. He completed his postgraduate
studies at the Pontifical Lateran University
in Rome
, from where he earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
in 1960.
Upon his return to the United States
, he did pastoral work in the Diocese of Joliet, where he served as a curate
at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Joliet
, St. Joseph in Rockdale
, and St. Mary Nativity in Joliet. He later served as pastor
of St. Thaddeus in Joliet, and of St. Michael Parish in Wheaton
. He also served as chancellor
and vicar general
of the diocese.
On August 14, 1981, Ryan was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Joliet and Titular Bishop
of Surista by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following September 30 from Bishop Joseph Leopold Imesch
, with Bishops Raymond J. Vonesh and Daniel Kucera, O.S.B.
, serving as co-consecrators
. Following the death of Bishop Joseph Alphonse McNicholas
in April 1983, Ryan was named the seventh Bishop of Springfield
on November 22, 1983. He was installed
at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
on January 18, 1984. His early years as bishop were marred by his admitted alcohol abuse
for which he received treatment in the summer of 1986.
During the last two years of his administration, Ryan was plagued by sexual abuse allegations
. In 1997 and 1998, a group called Roman Catholic Faithful had picketed a national bishops conference in Washington, D.C.
and carried signs alleging Ryan was protecting abusive priests. He himself was accused of engaging in homosexual affairs with young men, prostitutes, and other priests.
After fifteen years as Bishop of Springfield, Ryan resigned on October 19, 1999. In 2002 there were new allegations that Ryan had solicited sex from a teenaged boy in 1984, but the Sangamon County
state's attorney could not prosecute because the statute of limitations
had expired. Having continued to administer Confirmation
and celebrate Mass
, he voluntarily agreed to suspend his public ministry. In 2006 an investigative report declared that Ryan "engaged in improper sexual conduct and used his office to conceal his activities" and fostered "a culture of secrecy...that discouraged faithful priests from coming forward with information about misconduct" by other clergy in the diocese. He currently resides at the diocese's retirement center for priests.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois
Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the south central Illinois region of the United States...
from 1984 to 1999.
Biography
Daniel Ryan was born in MankatoMankato, Minnesota
Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 39,309 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Minnesota outside of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The county seat of Blue Earth County, it is located...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, to Leonard and Irene (née Larson) Ryan. After one year at Cathedral Boys High School
Sacred Heart-Griffin High School
Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, often abbreviated SHG, is Springfield, Illinois' largest private high school. The school is Roman Catholic and is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. On the school's campus is a motherhouse for a Dominican order of religious...
in Springfield
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, he entered Passionist Preparatory Seminary in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He then attended St. Procopius Seminary
Benedictine University
Benedictine University is a private Catholic university located in Lisle, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. The institution has retained close relations with the Benedictine Order. Originally named St. Procopius College and located in the Pilsen community of Chicago, the school was founded in 1887 by...
in Lisle
Lisle, Illinois
Lisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, from where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in classical languages in 1952. Ryan was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on May 3, 1956. He completed his postgraduate
Postgraduate education
Postgraduate education involves learning and studying for degrees or other qualifications for which a first or Bachelor's degree generally is required, and is normally considered to be part of higher education...
studies at the Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical Lateran University
The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, from where he earned a Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law...
in 1960.
Upon his return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he did pastoral work in the Diocese of Joliet, where he served as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Joliet
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, St. Joseph in Rockdale
Rockdale, Illinois
Rockdale is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,888 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rockdale is located at...
, and St. Mary Nativity in Joliet. He later served as pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Thaddeus in Joliet, and of St. Michael Parish in Wheaton
Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
. He also served as chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
and vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the diocese.
On August 14, 1981, Ryan was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Joliet and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Surista by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following September 30 from Bishop Joseph Leopold Imesch
Joseph Leopold Imesch
Joseph Leopold Imesch is an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Joliet from 1979 to 2006.-Biography:...
, with Bishops Raymond J. Vonesh and Daniel Kucera, O.S.B.
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
, serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. Following the death of Bishop Joseph Alphonse McNicholas
Joseph Alphonse McNicholas
Joseph Alphonse McNicholas was the sixth Roman Catholic Bishop of Springfield in Illinois .McNicholas was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and there studied at Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1949. On January 31, 1969, he was appointed...
in April 1983, Ryan was named the seventh Bishop of Springfield
Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the south central Illinois region of the United States...
on November 22, 1983. He was installed
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception may refer to:In Benin:*Basilique de l’Immaculée Conception, OuidahIn Burkina Faso:*Ouagadougou CathedralIn Canada:*Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception...
on January 18, 1984. His early years as bishop were marred by his admitted alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
for which he received treatment in the summer of 1986.
During the last two years of his administration, Ryan was plagued by sexual abuse allegations
Sexual abuse scandal in Springfield in Massachusetts diocese
The sexual abuse scandal in Springfield in Massachusetts diocese is a significant episode in the series of Catholic sex abuse cases in the United States and Ireland.-Edward Paquette affair:...
. In 1997 and 1998, a group called Roman Catholic Faithful had picketed a national bishops conference in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and carried signs alleging Ryan was protecting abusive priests. He himself was accused of engaging in homosexual affairs with young men, prostitutes, and other priests.
After fifteen years as Bishop of Springfield, Ryan resigned on October 19, 1999. In 2002 there were new allegations that Ryan had solicited sex from a teenaged boy in 1984, but the Sangamon County
Sangamon County, Illinois
Sangamon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 197,465, which is an increase of 4.5% from 188,951 in 2000...
state's attorney could not prosecute because the statute of limitations
Statute of limitations
A statute of limitations is an enactment in a common law legal system that sets the maximum time after an event that legal proceedings based on that event may be initiated...
had expired. Having continued to administer Confirmation
Confirmation (Catholic Church)
Confirmation is one of the seven sacraments through which Catholics pass in the process of their religious upbringing. According to Catholic doctrine, in this sacrament they receive the Holy Spirit and become adult members of the Catholic Church....
and celebrate Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
, he voluntarily agreed to suspend his public ministry. In 2006 an investigative report declared that Ryan "engaged in improper sexual conduct and used his office to conceal his activities" and fostered "a culture of secrecy...that discouraged faithful priests from coming forward with information about misconduct" by other clergy in the diocese. He currently resides at the diocese's retirement center for priests.