The Late Rev. John Ryan

New Zealand Tablet, 11 October 1906, Page 15

The Late Rev. John Ryan

I>he obsequies of the late Rev. John Ryan took place at Queenstown (Lake W,akatipu) on last Friday" The esteem in which the deceased was held by his . felloiw^priests was evidenced by the 1 large number of . the clergy that assembled, at great personal inconvenience, to pay him the last tribute of affection ; and respect. Despite the remoteness of Queenstown, and the/ special difficulties that many experienced in returning to their missions for Sunday, fourteen priests were pr<£ sent at the obsequies. One of them (Monsignor MacKay) had to travel a single-journey distance ot 345 % *u ln ° r to reaoh Queenstown ; and- another (*atner ODea) ' bad a/n all-night drive over the wild and dangerous* road between Omakau and the Lake arriving just in time for the Requiem. ' At the solemn Requiem Mass the Right- Rev Mer Mackay was celebrant ; Very Rev. Mgr. O'Leary deacon ; Very Rev. Dean Burke subdeacon ; Very Rev P ODonnell master of ceremonies; and Very Rev' j' O Neill and Rev. H, W. Cleary cantors. There were n^^Fwwr*; Rev^> P - M^Phy (Riverton), Rev. ,P. r? N^ U < Winton )> Rev. M. Keenan (Riversdale), Rev Or. M Hunt (Cromwell), Rev. P. ODea (Omakau), Rev. J. J. Lynch (Palmerston),, Rev. J. F. O'Donnell (Queenstown) and Rev. M. Ryan (Mosgiel). After the Gospel the Rev. P. Murphy (who, with the Rev. J. F ODonnell, had been in constant and affectionate attendance on the deceased priest during the last three ViZ* r r?,? llfe) Poached from the text: Ecclesiasticus ft ,.?* he P reaoher saw in the text a picture of the life of the deceased priest-his - simplicity, his sanctity Ms exalted sacerdotal dignity. Christ had (•hosen him, placed him as a guardian over a part of His flock gaven him charge over His own Body and Blood— made him a priest •of God. The vocation to the priesthood was of divine origin. In the Old Law ' God selected Levi. In the New Law St. Paul declared that even the Savior of the World did not enter into the ministry until called by His eternal in wj c u Ol i? d l J the a P° stle declared) should assume to himself that honor unless called thereto, as Aaron was Christ entered the Holy of Holies because the Father had said to him : ' Thou art a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchisedeeh ' The S r Provided for the perpetuating of His work on t»}*a + ?G? G c f lle ? T , to Himself helpers, .the Apostles, laisod them to the sacerdotal dignity, and the priesthood was the same to-day as when our Lord walked upon the earth. The calling was the same ; the^mode of calling differs at different times, in different persons, and in various ways. It changed St. Paul from an enemy' into an apostle of Christ • ior man? fas for St. Ignatius Loyola) it came by toe w?y of affliction ; fcmt, generally speaking, it came in a low and gentle voice speaking to the mind and heart ninwrf +S 4 th ? CaSe ™ With him whose death del fife of ,d 7, d - * The P reachei - thea -briefly traced the crla Li e t 1& % ReV> Fat o her Rvan J his> b > r << h at Rosciea (County Tipperary) 37 years ago ; his almost Mount^T aS >f tO the adjoinilg' monastery of. in Tvii i°iPh ; , the ma ' n ' nier in which he w as attracted wrmm <? holy monks ; thoir warm affection for hinT them now bishops, one of Carlow, the other of KilTJ°p e) i ; t an i Si 8 o rdin ,ation at the age of 23 years The late Father Ryan's career in the diocese of Dunt J'V? SS + * next bn f flv . sketched: his work in Miltot (where the news of his removal came as a thunderclap on the congregation) ; in the Cathedral wherp fevTXJf r a i n r *°<W™* made many converts? In 5S 77 M «v 7 iSS le8 ih- ; hl ? failin S '^alth ; -his,, journey to ing appeal for prayers for his deceased friend and SSSSKSk trLiour^ co ~ ion -STLS assisted bTihe° C Uo'rs MaSS ™ ' rCndered by the ch «*> t,hrZ h€ «' f V' ac , ral - place at the loc al cemetery at three o'clock mi/ the afternoon. The organist ' (Miss ' Gudgeon) played the ' Dead- March ' as the body wS being borne from the church. There was a lone cS ege, :n which the school 1 children, the coSStaSty

(with their shields), the clergy, and a large body of the general public of various creeds took . part. The burial service was conducted by the Right Rev. Mgr l Mackay, assisted by the Very Rev. Dean Burke (deacon), Rev. J. J. Lynch (subdeacon), Very Rev P. O'Donnell (master of ceremonies), and the rest of the. /clergy whose names have been « given.. ." ; • / : A movement among -the clergy to erect a monument over the grave of the late Father Ryan' has already reached an advanced stage.— R.l.P. "