- Date Of Birth: December 18, 1922
- Date Of Death: January 21, 2007
- State: Indiana
Br. John Chrysostom Ryan
Dec. 18, 1922 Jan. 21, 2007
SOUTH BEND Brother John Chrysostom (William) Ryan, CSC, 84, died after a long illness in Dujarie House, the Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame, IN, on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007.
Br. John was born William Ryan in Troy, New York, on December 18, 1922, the son of William A. and Irene (Dunn) Ryan. He received his education in St. Joseph’s parish school in Troy. After graduating from high school, he worked briefly for the General Electric Company in Schenectady and for the Federal Housing Administration in Albany. He joined the Brothers of Holy Cross in January 1943, making his first profession of vows on Feb. 2, 1944, and his perpetual vows August 16, 1947. From 1944 to 1973 his assignments were as a cook in various Holy Cross residences.. From 1961-1969 he was cafeteria manager of the Brothers’ high school in Flushing, NY.
In 1973 he began work counseling recovering alcoholics, a service that became a full-time occupation in several locations from then until shortly before his death.
Among the distinctions he held were his certification as a licensed Social Worker for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In June 1981 he became a member of the Board of Directors of the National Clergy Council on Alcoholism. He was also a licensed substance abuse counselor in Massachusetts. In 1985 he was appointed to the Professional Advisory Committee of the Priests’ Recover Program of the Boston Archdiocese.
As he was received into Holy Cross he took as his religious name John Chrysostom after the fourth-century Orthodox teacher and saint. Influenced by his patron, Br. John began to study the Orthodox Church and its icons, representations of God and the saints displayed in Eastern churches in place of statues, becoming over time an expert in iconography.
Many are the brothers who, as students at Notre Dame, appreciated Br. John’s culinary skills. More meaningful to him in later years was his counseling, as he helped numerous individuals in difficulty to deal with their additions.
At Dujarie House a viewing is scheduled for today, Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 11 a.m., followed at 11:30 a.m. by a Mass of the Resurrection in the new Our Lady of Holy Cross Chapel at Dujarie House, the Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame.
