The Washington herald., 1911-02-12
ARCHBISHOP RYAN
SINKS TO HIS END
Has Sudden Relapse at Noon
and Fails to Rally.
DIES WITH PRAYER ON LIPS
TolIing of Bell in Cathedral Tower
in Philadelphia Announces Death
noon OF Beloved Prelate = Life
Sketch of Distinguished Catholic.

Philadelphia. Feb. I1.-Archbishop Pat
rick ]. Ryan. OF the archdiocese of PhiIa-
delphia, died at 4:1O o'clock this after
noon.
4 sudden relapse at noon, after a week
Ct continued Improvement, FASTENED the
| end. In the archiepiscopal residence in
| Logan Square, at a time when hope for
the venerable archbishop's recovery was
| strong in the hearts of countless thou
| sands, who prayed that he might be
spared.
Tolling of the bell in the cathedral
tower announced the passing of the be-
| loved prelate. AS the mournful sound
was waited on the crisp winter air thou
| sands of persons paused in their tasks.
| Pedestrians in the streets near Logan
| Square stopped and listened. and as
| the import of the Somber message OF the
chimes was realized many a silent prayer
was Offered for the repose of the arch
| bishops SOU.
The archbishop died with a prayer on
| secretary, who attended him night and
day through his illness. was holding the
prelate's hand.
Family Mt Bedside.
Around the bedside were his sisters,
| Mrs. Edward Bowen, of this city, and
Mrs. James Mcguire, of Boston, Mass.
and his nephews. DR.. ]. Ryan Devcreux.
| of Washington, d. c., and ]. Ashton
Devereux. an assistant city solicitor of
Philadelphia. They had been with the
| archbishop since it was known he was
critically ill
The last words of the prelate, which
were distinctly heard by those about
him and which were spoken just before
the final prayer, were these:
Il wish to be with Christ, like St
Paul"
Cipitated the death OF the archbishop.
Although extremely weak, he insisted on
celebrating the high mass in the Cathe-
dral on Christmas Day, and against the
advice of his physicians ofticiated in the
opening prayer at the recent firemen's
memorial service.
With Archbishop Ryan's death. Right
Rev Edmond F. Prendergast. D. D.,
=. G., tituIar Bishop of Scillio and Aux
iIary Bishop of Philadelphia, becomes
administrator of the archdiocese until a
successor to the dead metropolitan is ap-
pointed by the Pope. Eleven years ago
Archbishop Ryan made this provision in
the event OF his death.
Interest in Public Affairs.
Archbishop Patrick John Ryan in his
more active days was known not only as
one of the foremost pulpit orators of
America but also as one Of the wittiest
of after-dinner speakers. Although New
York of late has seen little of him. Arch
bishop Ryan, like Archbishop Ireland and
Inhp
of Peoria, Ill. was known not only to
members OF the Catholic Church but 10
men of other faiths because of an active
interest Archbishop Ryan took in public
affairs
A friend Of Archbishop Ryan once
quoted him as saying there is espe-
cialy hot purgatory for clergymen OF all
denominations who do not prepare their
sermons properly: and even if they pre-
pare them I fear they will not be re-
ceived happily in the next world if they
deliver sermons of abstract nature"
Archbishop Ryan believed that good ser
mons and good poetry necessarily are
concrete
1t has been said OF Archbishop Ryan's
own sermons that he not only carefully
prepared the text and memorized il but
would then. If the sermon were to be de-
lINeTtu at d ceremony OF especial lIHpOT-
tance, rehearse his gestures several times
before a mirror. When speaking at din
ners he usually devoted his remarks to
impromptu comments upon the speeches
of those that preceded him.
Joke About His Red Hair.
One time at dinner in Philadelphia,
as an instance. at which Cardinal Gibbons
was a guest. the POSTMASTER in introduc-
bo.
introducing a speaker upon whom the
college OF cardinals also would soon be
stow the red hat" The archbishop, with
his shock of red air. stood up and looked
benignly toward Cardinal Gibbons
i don't have to wait for humans to
give me a red hat said Archbishop
Ryan. God gave 1t to me when l was
born" Archbishop Ryan was born in
Thurles, Couney Tipperary. Ireland. on
February 20. 1881. After a preliminary
education by tutors, he was sent to
Carlow College, from which he was grad
uated in 1852. He was ordained a sub
deacon in Ireland; came to America and
became professor of English literature
at Carondelet Theological Seminary at
ST. Louis. While teaching at the semi
nary he continued his own theological
and after being ordained deacon
After his ordination Father Ryan be-
came pastor of the Church of the An
nunciation at st. Louis. and in 1856 he
was appointed to the rectorship OF st. |
Johns Cathedral, St. Louis. The most
Rev. Archbishop Kenrick, of St. Louis. !
on April IA, 1872 consecrated Father |
Ryan titular Bishop OF Tricomia in Pal !
estine in partibus infede ium. and
Bishop Ryan entered upon his duties as
bishop of ST. Louis.
Sermon PIeascs the Pope. /
Bishop Ryan, at the Invitation OF Pope |
Plus TX, in 1855 delivered during the !
episcopal council in Rome a series of |
Lenten sermons in English, which at !
racted attention not only on account |
Of the unusual circumstances, but be- |
cause of the subject matter of the |
discourses. 1t is said that it |
vas these Lenten discourses which caused /
Bishop Ryan to be elevated to the office |
II scoadjutator archbishop the same |
year and transferred to the See of Phil
ldeIphia.
AS the leading pulpit orator Of Phila-
lelphia-his admirers say of the -coun-
Ryan early became a fig
ire in Pennsylvania. The University OF
gave him an honorary de-
,ree of LII. D., the first Catholic clergy
nan to be honored with a degree by the
institution. Archbishop Ryan also re-
eived an LII d. from New York
University and from Manhattan College.
During his years in Philadelphia his
lose friends were men of various inter-
,sts and training. James McNichol, for
Instance was one of these, and so were
1. / Drexei George W. Childs, and /