See Military Services Successor Joseph Thomas Dimino Predecessor Terence Cooke | Term ended May 14, 1991 Installed March 25, 1985 Name Joseph Ryan | |
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Other posts Archbishop of Anchorage (1966-1975)
Coadjutor Archbishop for U.S. Military Vicariate (1975-1985) | ||
John Joseph Thomas Ryan (November 1, 1913—October 9, 2000), better known as Joseph T. Ryan, was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop for the Military Services from 1985 to 1991, having previously served as Archbishop of Anchorage, Alaska from 1966 to 1975.
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Biography
Ryan was born in Albany, New York, to Patrick and Agnes (Patterson) Ryan. He attended Manhattan College in New York City and St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers.
He was ordained to the priesthood on June 3, 1939. He was in the Navy Chaplain Corps from 1943 to 1946 and took part in the Marine landing at Okinawa; he was cited twice for bravery.
Ryan served in the Diocese of Albany from 1946 to 1957 and was chancellor of the U.S. Military Vicariate from 1957 to 1958. From 1958 to 1960, he was based in Beirut, where he did relief work with the Catholic Near East Welfare Association and the Pontifical Mission for Palestine.
Archbishop of Anchorage
On February 7, 1966, Ryan was appointed the first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on the following March 25 from Cardinal Francis Spellman, with Bishops Edward Joseph Maginn and Edward Ernest Swanstrom serving as co-consecrators. The Anchorage Archdiocese was erected following the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, and was formed from the South Central area of the Diocese of Juneau. After nine years in Alaska, Ryan was named Coadjutor Archbishop for the Military Vicariate and Titular Archbishop of Gabii on November 4, 1975.
Archbishop for the Military Services
After the death of Cardinal Terence Cooke, Pope John Paul II elevated the Military Vicariate (which had had the same ordinary as the Archdiocese of New York) to the rank of an Archdiocese and named Ryan the first Archbishop for the Military Services on March 16, 1985. In this capacity, he provided for the pastoral and spiritual care of Catholics in the United States armed forces and their families, residents of veterans hospitals and civilian government employees living abroad.
Retirement
He retired as Archbishop on May 14, 1991 and returned to his native Albany, where he later died at age 86.