Irish-born prelate
James Ryan Portrait
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.
Biography
Early life
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]
Priesthood
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]
Bishop of Alton
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]
See also
References
Bishops Churches Education Priests
Bishops Churches Education
Newman centers
St. John's Catholic Newman Center , Champaign
High schools
Alleman High School , Rock Island
Central Catholic High School , Bloomington
Marquette Academy , Ottawa
Notre Dame High School , Peoria
St. Bede Academy , Peru
St. Thomas More High School , Champaign
Schlarman Academy , Danville
Former high schools
Academy of Our Lady/Spalding Institute , Peoria
Bergan High School , Peoria
Villa de Chantal , Rock Island
Priests
Ordinaries Churches Education
High schools (boys)
St. Francis DeSales High School, Louisville
St. Xavier High School, Louisville
Trinity High School, St. Matthews
High schools (girls)
Assumption High School, Louisville
Mercy Academy, Louisville
Presentation Academy, Louisville
Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville
High schools (coeducational)
Bethlehem High School, Bardstown
Holy Cross High School, Louisville
Special needs school
Pitt Academy, Louisville