Amid accusations of sexual misconduct and protecting sexually abusive priests, Ryan resigned as bishop of Springfield in 1999.
Biography
Early life
Daniel Ryan was born in Mankato, Minnesota, to Leonard and Irene (née Larson) Ryan.[1] While he was a child, the family moved to Springfield, Illinois. Ryan attended Cathedral Boys High School in Springfield, then entered the Passionist Preparatory Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. After finishing at the seminary, Ryan entered the novitiate to become a monk.[1][2] However, after deciding to become a priest instead, Ryan went to St. Procopius Seminary in Lisle, Illinois, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in classical languages in 1952.[1][3]
Pope John Paul II appointed Ryan as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Springfield on November 22, 1983.[4] He was installed at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield on January 18, 1984.[4] In 1986, Ryan announced that he had an alcohol dependency condition and then entered a treatment center for three months.[5][6]
In 1997 and 1998, an Illinois group called Roman Catholic Faithful picketed the US Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in Washington, D.C., carrying signs accusing Ryan of protecting abusive priests.[7] He himself was accused of engaging in sexual affairs with men.[8][9]
Resignation and legacy
On October 19, 1999, Pope John Paul II accepted Ryan's resignation as Bishop of Springfield, effective immediately, six years before the mandatory retirement of 75 for bishops.[4][10]
In late October 1999, Matthew McCormick sued the Diocese of Springfield, claiming that Alvin J. Campbell, a diocesan priest, abused him as an altar boy from 1982 to 1985. McCormick claimed that Ryan and the diocese did nothing to protect him, and that Ryan was guilty of numerous sexual affairs with male prostitutes and priests, creating a poisoned atmosphere. A diocese spokesperson said that Ryan removed Campbell in 1985 as soon as he heard about the accusations. Campbell later spent seven years in prison for child sexual abuse.[11] Ryan denied having any affairs.[6] The diocese settled with McCormick in 2004.[12]
In a 2002 Joliet Herald-News article, an unidentified priest from the Diocese of Joliet said that Ryan made sexual advances against him when the two men were staying at a hotel while visiting an out of town parish in 1982.[9] In August 2002, the Diocese of Springfield received allegations that Ryan had solicited sex from four boys in 1984. One of the alleged victims, Frank Sigretto, said that Ryan picked him up off the street and offered him $50 for a massage. During the massage, Ryan made sexual advances to the 15-year-old boy. The Diocese of Springfield referred its case to the Sangamon County, Illinois district attorney, but the DA could not prosecute Ryan because the statute of limitations had expired.[5][13]
Having continued to administer confirmation and celebrate mass, Ryan voluntarily agreed in 2004 to suspend his public ministry.[7] In 2006, an independent investigative report was commissioned by Bishop George Lucas, Ryan's successor. In its report, the Special Panel on Clergy Misconduct declared that Ryan "engaged in improper sexual conduct and used his office to conceal his activities". Ryan also fostered "a culture of secrecy...that discouraged faithful priests from coming forward with information about misconduct" by other clergy in the diocese.[3][14]
In his final years, Ryan resided at Sunrise of Naperville North, a senior facility in Naperville, Illinois.[7] Daniel Ryan died in Naperville on December 31, 2015, at age 85.[15][10]
