James Ryan (bishop)

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James Ryan
Bishop James Ryan.jpg
Born(1848-06-17)June 17, 1848
DiedJune 2, 1923(1923-06-02) (aged 74)

James Ryan (June 17, 1848 – July 2, 1923) was an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Alton from 1888 until his death in 1923.

Biography[]

James Ryan was born in Thurles, County Tipperary, and came to the United States with his parents at age seven, settling in Louisville, Kentucky.[1] He studied at St. Thomas' and St. Joseph's Colleges in Bardstown, and Preston Park Seminary in Louisville.[1] He was ordained to the priesthood on December 24, 1871.[2] He afterwards spent a few years as a missionary and teacher before accompanying John Lancaster Spalding to the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, in 1877.[1] After serving at Wataga and Danville, he was named rector of St. Columba's Church at Ottawa in 1881.[1]

On February 28, 1888, Ryan was appointed the third Bishop of Alton by Pope Leo XIII.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 1 from Bishop Spalding, with Bishops William George McCloskey and John Janssen serving as co-consecrators.[2] During his 35-year-long tenure, he established forty 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]

Ryan died at age 75.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Alton". Catholic Encyclopedia.
  2. ^ a b c "Bishop James Ryan". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
  3. ^ a b "History". SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church. Archived from the original on 2010-04-25.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Alton
1888—1923 		Succeeded by
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