Bishop Emeritus Daniel L. Ryan passed away on Dec. 31, 2015 in Naperville. He was 85 years old.
He was born Sept. 28, 1930 in Mankato, Minn., to Leonard "Pat" and Irene Ruth Ryan. His family moved to Springfield in 1943, where he briefly attended Blessed Sacrament School and then began his freshman year at Cathedral Boys School.
During high school he entered the Passionist Preparatory Seminary in St. Louis and then later attended St. Procopius Seminary in Lisle, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in classical languages. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Joliet on May 3, 1956. He earned a canon law degree at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome in 1960.
When then-Father Ryan returned to the Joliet diocese, he served as a curate at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Joliet, St. Joseph Parish in Rockdale and St. Mary Nativity Parish in Joliet. He later served as pastor at St. Thaddeus Parish in Joliet and at St. Michael Parish in Wheaton. He also served as chancellor and vicar general of the Joliet diocese.
On Aug. 14, 1981, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Joliet and Titular Bishop of Surista by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on Sept. 30, 1981 from Bishop Joseph Leopold Imesch, with Bishop Raymond J. Vonesh and Bishop Daniel Kucera, OSB, serving as co-consecrators.
Following the death of Bishop Joseph A. McNicholas in April 1983, he was named seventh bishop of Springfield in Illinois on Nov. 22, 1983 and was installed at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Jan. 18, 1984. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois for 15 years before retiring on Oct. 19, 1999.
During his tenure as bishop, he opened several diocesan offices, opened Villa Maria Catholic Life Center on Lake Springfield, supplied emergency relief for flood victims and Catholic churches along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers during the Great Flood of 1993, established a task force for racial justice, and began a ministry to the Hispanic community.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his older sister, Mary Louise Ryan.
Bishop Ryan donated his body to science. A memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26 at St. Francis of Assisi Church at St. Francis Convent of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, 4849 LaVerna Road in Springfield. Msgr. Thomas Holinga will be the celebrant and homilist.