Prayer Calendar: Deceased Priests who have ministered the Catholic Faith throughout Toowoomba and districts, 1864–2025, Compiled by Annie Carrett, Diocesan Archivist, 2001, Updated by Gabrielle Saide, Diocesan Archivist, 2023:
Rev John Joseph Ryan, died 20 Oct 1931

John Joseph Ryan was born 2nd June 1860 in Brisbane, the son of Michael and Anne Ryan (nee Mooney). He was schooled at old St Patrick's and St James' Boundary Street and apparently played cricket very well. (A brother Matthew also became a priest of the Archdiocese). Seminary studies were undertaken at Bathurst, Propaganda Fide in Roma and the Jesuit College at the University of Innsbruck. On their completion he was ordained the first Queensland-born priest on 4th March 1885 (although some records have quoted 4/7/1885). The reason for his completion of his studies at Innsbruck may be found in the need for German-speaking priests in Queensland to minister to the many immigrants to the colony. He returned with his priest-brother Matthew, to Brisbane, in November 1885 and served in the following places: Assistant Priest Gympie (there 1886); Administrator Eidsvold (there 1891); Gayndah (1892); Caboolture (there 1898); Pittsworth, where he built the church (1912-1919); Parish Priest Redcliffe (1926). In 1898 he asked Rome to either appoint an auxiliary to Bishop Dunne or else subdivide the Diocese, on account of the heavy workload of the Diocese. He retired in Redcliffe and during this time wrote some history of the early Church in Brisbane, which was published in the "Catholic Leader" of 1930. He died in Brisbane in 1931 aged 71, and is buried in Nudgee Cemetery. Pugh's list him as serving in Stanthorpe in 1909-1910.
(Ref. Linane R83 and Pugh's)

Reproduced by permission of Bishop Ken Howell.

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Denis M. Long, Pioneer and Early Priests, Archdiocese of Brisbane, Deceased or retired by 1929, 2021, pp 194-195:
Rev John Joseph Ryan

Fr John Joseph Ryan was the motivator behind the established of the Sick and Infirm Priests' Sustentation Society in 1928. This society faithfully cared for sick and infirm priests until 2009. A small prayer leaflet prepared by that society listing deceased priests who ministered in the diocese of Brisbane up to 1929 motivated me to research and write short stories of those priests. In his retirement Fr Ryan himself wrote a little about some pioneer priests.

Br Brian Grenier CFC wrote about him in a Gregory Terrace magazine:

Brother James Joseph Barrett placed the following advertisement in the Brisbane Courier of 26 June 1875:

'The Christian Brothers will open their schools, at St Stephen's, for business, on Monday July 5. The Brothers will attend at the School on next Tuesday from 10 to 2 o'clock, to receive the names of the children. It is particularly requested that at least one of the parents will accompany each child.'

Among the parents who responded to this advertisement were Michael and Ann Ryan. Their son John Joseph Ryan shared with about twenty other boys the distinction of being first-day pupils of the school we know as St Joseph's College Gregory Terrace'.

One of ten children in a staunchly religious family, John Joseph Ryan was born on June 2, 1860. His father supported the household as an aerated waters manufacturer in Spring Hill. Two of his sons became priests (John and his older brother Matthew), and two of his daughters became Sisters of Mercy (Margaret as Sister M Bernardine and Honora as Sister M Alexis).

At the end of 1876 John continued his studies at St Stanislaus's College and at St Charles Seminary, Bathurst, preparatory to going to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. He was ordained by Cardinal Lucido Maria Parocchin in the Basilica of St John Lateran on Holy Saturday, April 4, 1885. His first Mass, celebrated on the following day, was served by his brother Matthew and Thomas Hayes who were studying for the priesthood at Innsbruck in Austria.(1)

After his return to Australia in 1886 Fr John was appointed assistant priest to Fr Matthew Horan in Gympie. He spent six years there. When he left in October 1891 he was given a farewell attended by four-hundred people. In a reply to an address and a testimonial of 100 guineas(2) Fr John explained his approach to his time there:

Before leaving college I formed certain principles, which I laid down for my guidance in my missionary career. Being an Australian and the first Queensland native priest, I was aware of the many difficulties and anomalies which exist in a mixed community in Australia. … I resolved that for the first three years on missionary work I would keep away from the people as much as my official duties would allow, and get to know them before they knew me.(3)

Fr Ryan was appointed the administrator of the Eidsvold section of the Maryborough parish, arriving at Eidsvold in January 1892. Eidsvold became part of the Maryborough mission when Fr Rossolini was appointed in charge of Bundaberg, formerly part of the Maryborough mission in 1880. Fr Fouhy, a previous curate in Maryborough, had been living in Eidsvold since November 1898; so Fr Ryan resided in Eidsvold.

In mid-1895, after three and a half years in Eidsvold, Fr Ryan was appointed priest-in-charge of the Caboolture/Nambour mission following the death of Fr Andrew Monaghan. When he was a curate in Gympie Fr Ryan would have known part of that mission field well which had been part of the Gympie mission until 1892. His new pastoral mission extended north to Nambour and south to Redcliffe and inland to North Pine.

Woodford was the first church built in the area. Fr Monoghan had resided there. On 10 June 1899, Fr Ryan opened a church on the south bank of the river in Caboolture and erected a presbytery there. On 11 October he opened St Francis Xavier Church in Dayboro. Prior to this time Catholics Brisbane priest visited the North Pine area. In 1899 Fr Ryan opened a small church in Redcliffe on four acres of land that had been purchased in 1896.

In 1908 Fr Ryan moved to Pittsworth. In October the foundation stone of new church was laid; to replace the small wooden structure blessed and opened by Archbishop Dunne on 19 August 1888.(4) Archbishop Dunne was too ill to attend, so Fr John invited his brother Fr Matthew Ryan, parish priest of Stanthorpe, to preside at the opening.(5)

The fine new brick church was blessed and opened by Dr O'Connor, the bishop of Armidale on Sunday 12 December 1909; the aging Archbishop Dunne was too frail to attend. Over 1000 visitors were present, arriving by train and other conveyances. The church, 110ft long by 35ft wide, seated 500 people. The total design, which was never completed, with side aisles would have increased the width to 65ft and seating to 1,000.(6)

In 1920 Fr John Ryan moved to Redcliffe as its first parish priest. He became well known and respected on the peninsula. His activities were often reported in the local press.

On 21 January 1927, following the annual clergy retreat at Nudgee College, the assembled priests elected a committee commissioned "to draw up rules for a new society and to submit same for approval to the clergy at the next retreat." Fr Ryan was elected Vice Chairman to Monsignor Byrne. Following the retreat on 20 January 1928 one hundred priests agreed to the formation of the Sick and Infirm Priests' Sustentation Society. Fr Ryan, the principal motivator behind this project, was unable to be present and declined his nomination as a member of the management committee.(7)

In August 1928 he donated £100 to the new society. The committee recognised him as the father of the society making him

a life member of the society in recognition of his services and assistance to the fund.(8)

After nine years in Redcliffe, on 26 January 1930, Father Ryan officiated at his last Mass as parish priest, intending to spend the summer in Tasmania and the winter in Redcliffe.(9)

After several months in the Mater Misericordiae Private Hospital in Brisbane, he died on Tuesday 20 October 1931. Following Requiem Mass in St Stephen's Cathedral on 21 October, he was buried in Nudgee Cemetery. An impressive monument marks the site of his grave.

Footnotes
1. Brian Grenier, The Terracian, May 2016, p. 6.
2. RBA, Inflation calculation, $17,000 in current values.
3. Gympie Times and Mary River Mining Gazette, 15 Oct 1891, p. 3.
4. Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser, 21 Aug 1888, p. 3.
5. Catholic Press, Sydney, 22 Oct 1908, p. 34.
6. Brisbane Courier, 13 Dec 1909, p. 6.
7. Minutes of meetings of assembled Priests, 21 Jan 1927 and 20 Jan 1928.
8. Committee minutes of Sick & Infirm Priests' Sustentation Society, 17 Aug 1928.
9. Humpybong Weekly and Advertiser, Redcliffe, 23 Jan 1930, p. 2.

Reproduced by permission of Fr Denis Long.