Barry Ryan (Catholic priest)
Encyclopedia
Barry Edmund Ryan is a former American Roman Catholic priest who pleaded guilty to repeatedly molesting a six-year-old boy, for which he was sentenced
to two years in prison.
After his ordination
in 1976, Ryan worked in parish
es in Brooklyn, New York
before enlisting as a chaplain
in the U.S. Air Force in 1984. He suspended from the priesthood in 1995 after allegations of improper sexual conduct while he had been stationed at Mobile, Alabama
. Also, Ryan was suspended
from his priestly duties.
Until the spring of 2003, he was a library media specialist at Martin County High School
in Stuart, Florida
, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 2001. He took a medical leave of absence
in the wake of news reports that he might have been involved in improper sexual activity during his time as an Air Force chaplain. Also, he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer
.
Shortly afterwards, between May
and October 2003, he forced a six-year-old boy to perform oral sex
upon him at the boy's family home in Long Island
.
In his written confession, Ryan said he received inpatient treatment for paedophilia, depression and alcoholism
at Saint Luke Institute
, a psychiatric hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland
in 2004.
Ryan attempted to commit suicide
in 2007 by slitting his own throat. Shortly thereafter, he was ordered from the Missouri
hospice in which he was residing to begin serving his two-year sentence in New York
.
Ryan currently resides in St. John Vianney Renewal Center in Dittmer, Missouri
.
Sentence (law)
In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime...
to two years in prison.
After his ordination
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
in 1976, Ryan worked in parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es in Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
before enlisting as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in the U.S. Air Force in 1984. He suspended from the priesthood in 1995 after allegations of improper sexual conduct while he had been stationed at Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. Also, Ryan was suspended
Suspension (punishment)
Suspension is a form of punishment that people receive for violating rules and regulations.- Workplace :Suspension is a common practice in the workplace for being in violation of an organization's policy...
from his priestly duties.
Until the spring of 2003, he was a library media specialist at Martin County High School
Martin County High School
Martin County High School is a public high school in Stuart, Florida in the Martin County School District. The school enrolled 1,967 students in a 2008 census. Its mascot is the Tiger, and its colors are blue and yellow.-Administration:...
in Stuart, Florida
Stuart, Florida
Stuart is the only incorporated city of Martin County, Florida, on Florida's Treasure Coast. The population was 14,633 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 15,964....
, where he was named Teacher of the Year in 2001. He took a medical leave of absence
Leave of absence
Leave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
in the wake of news reports that he might have been involved in improper sexual activity during his time as an Air Force chaplain. Also, he was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of liver cancer. Most cases of HCC are secondary to either a viral hepatitide infection or cirrhosis .Compared to other cancers, HCC is quite a rare tumor in the United States...
.
Shortly afterwards, between May
May 2003
May 2003: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December – →-Events:-May 1, 2003:...
and October 2003, he forced a six-year-old boy to perform oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
upon him at the boy's family home in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
.
In his written confession, Ryan said he received inpatient treatment for paedophilia, depression and alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
at Saint Luke Institute
Saint Luke Institute
Saint Luke Institute is a private, licensed mental health treatment facility located in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Institute primarily serves Roman Catholic priests and religious women and men. Services are provided in both residential and outpatient settings...
, a psychiatric hospital in Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring, Maryland
Silver Spring is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 71,452 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth most populous place in Maryland, after Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown.The urbanized, oldest, and...
in 2004.
Ryan attempted to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 2007 by slitting his own throat. Shortly thereafter, he was ordered from the Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
hospice in which he was residing to begin serving his two-year sentence in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Ryan currently resides in St. John Vianney Renewal Center in Dittmer, Missouri
Dittmer, Missouri
Dittmer is an unincorporated community in western Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. It is located about fourteen miles northwest of Hillsboro on Route 30. This is shown on an early railroad map published in 1891 as "Dittmer's Store."...
.
See also
- Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal
- Roman Catholic priests accused of sex offenses
- Crimen sollicitationisCrimen sollicitationisCrimen sollicitationis is the title of a 1962 document of the Holy Office codifying procedures to be followed in cases of priests or bishops of the Catholic Church accused of having used the sacrament of Penance to make sexual advances to penitents.It repeated, with additions, the contents of an...