:Patrick J. Ryan (chaplain)

{{Infobox military person

| honorific_prefix = The Reverend Monsignor

| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}} {{postnominals|post-noms=OCI|size=100%}}

| name = Patrick J. Ryan

| image = Official portrait of Chaplain (Major General) Patrick J. Ryan.jpg

| caption = Portrait of Chaplain Major General Ryan, {{circa|1956}}

| alt =

| birth_name = Patrick James Ryan

| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=y|1902|12|03}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1978|06|05|1902|12|12}}

| birth_place = Manannah, Minnesota, U.S.

| death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S.

| placeofburial = Calvary Cemetery, Litchfield, Minnesota

| placeofburial_coordinates =

| nickname =

| allegiance = United States

| branch = United States Army

| serviceyears = 1928–1958

| servicenumber = 0-17363

| rank = Major general

| unit =

| commands = U.S. Army Chaplain Corps (CCH)

| battles = {{ubl|World War II|Korean War}}

| alma_mater = {{ubl|College of St. Thomas (BA)|Saint Paul Seminary (STB)}}

| awards = {{ubl|Distinguished Service Medal|Legion of Merit|Bronze Star Medal|Officer of the Order of the British Empire|Order of the Crown of Italy}}

| relations =

| laterwork =

| module = {{Infobox Christian leader

| embed = yes

| church = Catholic (Latin Church)

| rank = {{ubl|Domestic prelate (1947)|Protonotary apostolic (1967)}}

| ordination = 1927 (priesthood)

| ordained_by = Austin Dowling

}}

Patrick James Ryan (3 December 1902 – 5 June 1978) was an American major general and Catholic priest who served as the 9th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army from 1954 to 1958. Only briefly serving in a parish after his ordination for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul in 1927, he entered the Army Reserve as a chaplain in 1928. During World War II he served in North Africa and Italy where he earned numerous honors and awards, including appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. After the war, he held various roles at the Pentagon and at the Sixth Army in San Francisco before becoming Chief of Chaplains in 1954. At the time of his appointment he was the youngest man to have held the role, at 51 years old.

Early life and education

Ryan was born in Manannah Township, Minnesota, near Litchfield, on 3 December 1902. He attended high school at Saint Thomas Military Academy, graduating in 1919. He graduated from the College of St. Thomas and the Saint Paul Seminary and became an ordained Roman Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul in 1927. He served briefly as a parish priest at St. Helena's in Minneapolis before entering the military as a chaplain.

Military career

File:PatrickRyan.JPG

Ryan joined the United States Army Reserve and was commissioned as a first lieutenant in April 1928.{{cite news |title=Army Chief of Chaplains Slates Visit To Ft. Bliss |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/el-paso-times-army-chief-of-chaplains-sl/158332483/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=El Paso times |date=21 January 1958 |via=Newspapers.com}} As a reservist, he was first assigned to Fort Snelling. In December 1928, he was assigned to Fort Leavenworth until February 1929, when he was assigned to Fort Riley. In 1932, he was assigned to Fort Shafter as chaplain to the 64th Coast Artillery. In August 1935, he was assigned as the chaplain of Walter Reed Hospital where he remained until October 1939 when he returned to Fort Shafter and Fort Kamehameha. He also assisted in organizing the first Army chaplain corps in Brazil.

=World War II=

In November 1941, Ryan was assigned as the chaplain of the 3rd Infantry Division. He was deployed to North Africa, landing on 8 November 1942, as part of Operation Torch. In the spring of 1943, Ryan was reassigned to the Fifth Army and served in Morocco, Sicily, and Italy.{{cite news |title=Father Patrick Ryan Promoted to Colonel |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oklahoma-courier-father-patrick-ryan/158332514/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Oklahoma Courier |date=5 February 1944 |via=Newspapers.com}} He participated in the Operation Avalanche landings at Salerno. On Christmas Eve, 1943, he was promoted to the rank of colonel. After participating in the liberation of Rome in June 1944, Ryan celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving attended by 10,000 people at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, with Cardinal Eugène Tisserant, secretary of the Sacred Oriental Congregation, presiding.{{cite news |title=Cardinal Presides At Historic Service In Liberated Rome |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-nebraska-register-cardinal-presides/158332569/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Nebraska Register |date=18 June 1944 |archive-date=11 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111154038/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-nebraska-register-cardinal-presides/158332569/ |url-status=live |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |last1=Kennedy |first1=Edward |title=10,000 Soldiers Attend Victory Mass in Rome |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-10000-soldiers-at/158334510/ |access-date=3 November 2024 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=12 June 1944 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{refn|group=note|name=Presider distinction|While current liturgical vernacular commonly uses the terms "celebrating" and "presiding" interchangeably, "presiding" may be used in a more technical sense wherein a prelate attends the Mass in choro and is not the one offering the Mass.{{cite web |last1=McNamara |first1=Edward |title=When a Bishop Doesn't Concelebrate at a Mass {{!}} EWTN |url=https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/when-a-bishop-doesnt-concelebrate-at-a-mass-4711 |website=EWTN Global Catholic Television Network |language=en}}}} Along with other military officials, he was received in audience by Pope Pius XII on 7 June 1944. Ryan prepared altars and coordinated with German priests to have Mass offered for the 500,000 German POWs in Italy.{{cite news |last1=Ruff |first1=Joe |title=US Army infantry division honors the late Msgr. Patrick Ryan, World War II chaplain |url=https://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/us-army-infantry-division-honors-the-late-msgr-patrick-ryan-world-war-ii-chaplain/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Catholic Spirit |date=16 August 2023 |archive-date=30 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730210929/https://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/us-army-infantry-division-honors-the-late-msgr-patrick-ryan-world-war-ii-chaplain/ |url-status=live }}

=Post-war=

Ryan returned from overseas in July 1945, and began serving in the Pentagon in September as director of plans and training in the office of Chief of Chaplains.{{cite news |title=Chaplains' Chief Set For Chapel Ceremonies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-anniston-star-chaplains-chief-set-f/158332613/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Anniston Star |date=23 February 1958 |via=Newspapers.com}} During that time, he was named the Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army in March 1946 and served in that role until September 1948. In June 1947, he was named a monsignor of the rank domestic prelate by Pope Pius XII. From September 1948 to 1952, he was chaplain to the Sixth Army in San Francisco. He was again named deputy chief in 1952, and was made brigadier general in 1953.{{cite news |title=Col. Patrick Ryan Names Deputy Chief of Chaplains |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-star-col-patrick-ryan-names-dep/158332650/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Evening Star |date=13 March 1946 |location=Washington DC |via=Newspapers.com}}

=Chief of Chaplains=

On 18 March 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower nominated Ryan as the 9th Chief of Chaplains with the rank of major general.{{cite news |title=Priest Appointed Chaplains' Chief |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tablet-priest-appointed-chaplains-c/158332716/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Tablet |date=27 March 1954 |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tablet-priest-appointed-chaplains-c/158332716/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tablet-priest-appointed-chaplains-c/158332792/ 22] |via=Newspapers.com}} Ryan was visiting troops in Korea at the time.{{cite news |title=Monsignor Ryan Visits Chaplains in Korea |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tablet-monsignor-ryan-visits-chaplai/158332856/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Tablet |author=Msgr. Patrick O'Connor |date=27 March 1954 |via=Newspapers.com}} He was sworn in on 1 May 1954, with the rank of major general. At the age of 51, he was the youngest to ever hold the role.{{cite news |title=New Head of Chaplains Learns of Appointment When on Korean Tour |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-nebraska-register-new-head-of-chapla/158332888/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Nebraska Register |date=26 March 1954 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |title=Army Swears In Chief Chaplain |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-salt-lake-tribune-army-swears-in-chi/158332931/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=2 May 1954 |via=Newspapers.com}}

During his time as Chief of Chaplains, Ryan established a 16-week "postgraduate" course for senior chaplains.{{cite news |last1=Healy |first1=Paul |title=Capital Circus |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-capital-circus/158332959/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=New York Daily News |date=31 July 1958 |via=Newspapers.com}} He stated that a chaplain must not be "some effete busybody or do-gooder{{nbsp}}... nor a religious recluse living in an ivory tower. He is a virile, fully-trained specialist." His tenure as chief of chaplains was reported to have "vastly improved" the chaplaincy corps and "achieved the best approach to an all-around religious program" in the history of the Army. He was called both a "chaplain's chaplain" and a "soldier's soldier". With the size of the army decreasing after the war, Ryan sought to increase chaplain numbers, especially in the United States Army Reserve and National Guard, to maintain higher proportions if the need rose again.{{cite news |title=Reserve Has Urgent Need For Chaplains |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-advocate-reserve-has-urgent-need-for/158332993/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Advocate |date=15 May 1954 |via=Newspapers.com}} He retired as chief of chaplains on 30 October 1958.{{cite news |last1=Alfsen |first1=Erik |title=Unsung Hero: Dogface chaplain recognized for service and sacrifice |url=https://www.army.mil/article/268840/unsung_hero_dogface_chaplain_recognized_for_service_and_sacrifice |access-date=11 October 2024 |work=U.S. Army |date=2 August 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241011124541/https://www.army.mil/article/268840/unsung_hero_dogface_chaplain_recognized_for_service_and_sacrifice |archive-date=11 October 2024 |language=en |url-status=live}}

Later years

After his retirement from the military, Ryan authored a book published by Random House entitled A Soldier Priest Talks to Youth that covered the topics of smoking, drinking, sex, and other relevant topics for adolescents.{{cite news |title=A Soldier Priest Talks to Youth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-catholic-missourian-a-soldier-priest/158333051/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Catholic Missourian |date=14 March 1965 |via=Newspapers.com}} He also served as the executive vice president of the Catholic Digest. He served as chaplain of the Military Order of the World Wars and Grand Prior of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem.{{cite news |title=A Military Hall of Fame |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kansas-city-times-a-military-hall-of/158333087/ |access-date=30 July 2024 |work=The Kansas City Times |date=25 February 1956 |via=Newspapers.com}} He was made a protonotary apostolic by Pope Paul VI in 1967{{cite book|editor1-first=Marjorie Dent| editor1-last=Candee |title=Current Biography Yearbook 1955 |series=Current Biography Yearbook |volume=16 | date=1956| place=New York |publisher=H. W. Wilson Company|pages=522–524|url=https://archive.org/details/currentbiography0000unse_1955/ |access-date=17 December 2023 |via=Internet Archive}} and died on 5 June 1978, in Washington, D.C.{{cite news|title=Msgr. Patrick Ryan Dies|date=9 June 1978|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1978/06/09/msgr-patrick-ryan-dies/a7c2aaff-6f3c-4e3e-804f-1f3389d3e68d/|access-date=16 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828140405/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1978/06/09/msgr-patrick-ryan-dies/a7c2aaff-6f3c-4e3e-804f-1f3389d3e68d/ |archive-date=28 August 2017}} He was one of four alumni of the Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, to become the Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army, the other three being Francis L. Sampson, Patrick J. Hessian, and Donald W. Shea.{{cite news |title=For God and Country |url=https://www.stthomas.edu/media/spssod/pdfs/oracle/2015WinterOracle.pdf |access-date=1 October 2018 |work=The Oracle |date=Winter 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912110512/http://www.stthomas.edu/media/spssod/pdfs/oracle/2015WinterOracle.pdf |archive-date=12 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}

Awards and decorations

Awards Ryan received include the following:{{cite news |title=Father Patrick J. Ryan Appointed Deputy Chief of U.S. Army Chaplains |url=https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/gua1449731/1946-03-30/ed-1/seq-12/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=The Bulletin of the Catholic Laymen's Association of Georgia |page=12 |date=30 March 1946 |archive-date=22 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240922034141/https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/gua1449731/1946-03-30/ed-1/seq-12/ |url-status=live }}

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Distinguished Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Distinguished Service Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Legion of Merit ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Legion of Merit

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Bronze Star ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Bronze Star Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Army Commendation Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|Army Commendation Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=1|type=service-star|ribbon=American Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|American Defense Service Medal (with one bronze service star)

{{ribbon devices|number=5|type=service-star|other_device=arrowhead|ribbon=European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal (with arrowhead device and five campaign stars)

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|American Campaign Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|World War II Victory Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=service-star|ribbon=National Defense Service Medal ribbon.svg|width=60}}

|National Defense Service Medal

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon.png|width=60}}

|Officer of the Order of the British Empire

{{ribbon devices|number=0|type=oak|ribbon=Cavaliere OCI BAR.svg|width=60}}

|Order of the Crown of Italy

Dates of rank

Ryan's dates of rank were:

class="wikitable" ! Insignia !! Rank !! Component !! Date
File:US-O2 insignia.svg \| First lieutenant	Officers Reserve Corps	27 April 1928
File:US-O2 insignia.svg \| First lieutenant	Regular Army	2 November 1928
File:US-O3 insignia.svg \| Captain	Regular Army	5 October 1933
File:US-O4 insignia.svg \| Major	Regular Army	6 October 1940
File:US-O5 insignia.svg \| Lieutenant colonel (temporary)	Army of the United States	1 February 1942
File:US-O6 insignia.svg \| Colonel (temporary)	Army of the United States	24 December 1943
File:US-O5 insignia.svg \| Lieutenant colonel	Regular Army	27 June 1946
File:US-O6 insignia.svg \| Colonel	Regular Army	11 March 1948
File:US-O7 insignia.svg \| Brigadier general (temporary)	Regular Army	6 March 1953
File:US-O8 insignia.svg \| Major general (temporary)	Regular Army	1 May 1954

Notes

References

External links

[https://stthomas-aspace.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/27 Collection: Msgr. Patrick J. Ryan Papers | Special Collections and University Archives at the University of St. Thomas Libraries]
[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115410193/patrick-james-ryan Rev Msgr Patrick James "Pat" Ryan (1902–1978) – Find a Grave Memorial]

{{succession box

|after = William D. Cleary

|title = Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

|before = James H. O'Neill

|years = 1946–1948}}

{{succession box

|after = Frank A. Tobey

|title = Deputy Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army

|before = James H. O'Neill

|years = 1952–1954}}

{{succession box

|after = Frank A. Tobey