One is not engaging in exaggeration or hyperbole by suggesting that Diocese of London retired cleric Fr. Michael Terrance Ryan is on the precipice of celebrating an extraordinary and rare achievement.

June 3 marks the 75th anniversary of Fr. Ryan’s ordination to the priesthood. The son of Justus Dean Ryan and Frances Evelyn Dunn was a tender-aged 23-year-old when he professed his vows and was anointed with the oil of chrism by Bishop J.C. Cody at St. Peter’s Cathedral. He celebrated his 98th birthday this past Dec. 23.

It is exceedingly uncommon for a priest to be alive for what could be considered his diamond jubilee. And the fact Ryan is set to achieve this milestone while not yet even 100 years old — the minimum canonical age for the priesthood is 25 years except for special circumstances — is downright unprecedented.

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The Register was unable to speak to Ryan directly about this incredible feat, but Fr. Paul Baillargeon, the episcopal vicar, judicial vicar and chancellor of the London diocese, took time to speak in glowing admiration about his former professor, and later colleague, at St. Peter’s Seminary.

Baillargeon arrived at the London seminary in 1973 to behold an academic who had been teaching philosophy (he was dean of philosophy from 1967 to 1992) and theology since 1962 and serving as vice-rector since 1967.

“He was a very diligent teacher, thorough and clearly knew his material backwards and forwards,” said Baillargeon. “He was very competent and efficient in what he did and an excellent teacher.”

While his passion for philosophy and theology remained a constant during his active ministry before he stepped back in 2000, a desire to speak and write about Catholic social teaching cultivated over time. He notably authored Solidarity: Christian Social Teaching and Canadian Society (1990).

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“The book came out of his class notes,” said Baillargeon. “He undertook his work on Catholic social teaching as he did for everything — with complete zeal and dedication. He knew it completely, communicated it clearly and fully understood what the application of social teaching would mean to our day-to-day society and world.”

Ryan produced many other publications about Catholic social teaching, particularly during his retirement years, including The Social Attitudes of a Catholic (2005) and Preaching the Church’s Social Doctrine (2008). He also wrote about evangelization, Thomas Aquinas and socioeconomics. 

Baillargeon, who is still a part-time lecturer in Church law at St. Peter’s Seminary, said that as a co-worker he admired Ryan for being so “thorough and exacting” and for his “capacity to discern situations.” Every so often Ryan would sparkle with wit and enjoy a good joke, but he “is an intense, focused man.”

“There are no half-measures with Fr. Ryan,” summarized Baillargeon.

There is a striking full-circle trajectory to Ryan’s active pastoral career. For the first nine years, he was a parish priest at Christ the King Parish in Windsor (1950-1952) and Our Lady Help of Christians Catholic Church in Wallaceburg (1952-1959). He returned to parish priesthood for the last eight years of full-time activity. From 1992 to 2000, he ministered at Sacred Heart Parish in Langton, St. Peter’s Mission in Long Point and St. Ladislaus Parish in Courtland.

Following his retirement, which started on June 1, 2000, he volunteered to return to Sacred Heart in Langton, and filled in at Sacred Heart Church in Parkhill, Ont., when those houses of worship needed a priest to cover gap periods.

“In both instances, people still speak about him in those parishes as a very zealous pastor, someone who again was present to them and took care of them and their needs,” said Baillargeon.

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The London diocese hopes Ryan will be present among the honourees when jubilarians are honoured this autumn. The date for this celebration has not yet been announced.

"While he still lives on his own, he's not nearly as vigorous as he once was,” said Baillargeon. “We don't know if he will be able to join us, but we hope so. But whether he does or not, we will still nevertheless note this significant event in the life of our diocese.”