LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of The Reverend Monsignor
Gerald Ryan, the oldest serving priest in New York City

WHEREAS, It is with great sorrow and deep regret that this Legislative
Body records the passing of The Reverend Monsignor Gerald Ryan, on April
11, 2013, at the age of 93, noting the significance of his purposeful
life and accomplishments; and
WHEREAS, This distinguished man of God always gave enlightenment,
guidance and wisdom to the many entrusted to his care and administered
abundantly and unstintingly to the spiritual and corporal needs of all;
and
WHEREAS, Monsignor Gerald Ryan, the oldest serving priest in New York
City and a beloved, vital figure in the South Bronx, led St. Luke's
Church for nearly 50 years; he remained at the church's helm during the
neighborhood's steep decline in the 1970s, working with community groups
to revive the area and secure affordable housing and a better quality of
life for its residents; and
WHEREAS, Born in 1920 in Manhattan, Monsignor Gerald Ryan moved with
his parents, both Irish immigrants, to the Pelham Bay section of the
borough, where he was raised; he joined the priesthood in 1945, and
settled at St. Luke's parish in 1966; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated, Monsignor Gerald Ryan was a true fixture in the
neighborhood; a leader in both the Catholic community and the South
Bronx, he faithfully continued to serve in the ministry even after he
reached the retirement age of 75 for priests; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Monsignor Gerald Ryan leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of The Reverend Monsignor Gerald Ryan, the oldest serv-
ing priest in New York City; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of The Reverend Monsignor Gerald Ryan.