A World War II Army chaplain, U.S. Army chief of chaplains and priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was honored in a special way Aug. 1 by the infantry division he served.
The late Msgr. (Maj. Gen.) Patrick Ryan, who held those positions and received honors including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and Distinguished Service medal, was inducted into the Third Infantry Division Marne Hall of Fame in Fort Stewart, Georgia.
“Chaplain Ryan’s service and dedication as a ‘Dogface Soldier’ are etched into the very fabric of our division’s history,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) John Scott, current division chaplain, according to an article released by the Defense Department’s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. “His commitment to caring for the spiritual well-being of our soldiers, and his bravery during the dark days of World War II left an indelible mark on the history of our division,” Scott said. “Chaplain Ryan is a shining example of what it means to care for the soul of the Army.”
Father Michael Creagan, pastor of St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater and a chaplain major serving in the Minnesota Army National Guard, said he was impressed that “Msgr. Ryan was honored this summer for his heroic efforts during the Second World War.”
“It is important to remember the men and women who served our nation during World War II,” Father Creagan said in an email. Several archdiocesan priests served as chaplains during the war, including the late Father John Buchanan, who founded Holy Childhood parish in St. Paul, was in the Battle of the Bulge and was decorated with a Silver Star for gallantry in action, Father Creagan said. “Hopefully with a little research, we can preserve the stories of our World War II and other chaplains for future generations,” he said.
Msgr. Ryan, who died in 1978 at age 75, was a native of Minnesota ordained as an archdiocesan priest in 1927. He served in the Army from 1928 until his retirement in 1958. He was chaplain of the Third Infantry Division during military landings in North Africa in World War II. He also was the Fifth Army Command chaplain in Italy from 1943 to 1945.
Msgr. Ryan asked his commanding officer for permission to minister to the 500,000 German prisoners of war captured in Italy, Father Creagan said. Msgr. Ryan constructed altars and organized German priests who were among the prisoners of war to offer Mass. Religious service attendance among the prisoners rose from 30% to 70%. Msgr. Ryan later called that experience the most triumphant moment of his life, Father Creagan said.
Msgr. Ryan was deputy chief of Army chaplains from 1946 to 1948 and 1952 to 1954, the only person to hold that position twice. Nominated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower and confirmed by the Senate as Army chief of chaplains, he served in that position from 1954 until his retirement.
The division’s Hall of Fame commemorates the lives of distinguished members whose dedication continues to reflect the division’s spirit and core values, “inspiring the current and future generations of Dogface Soldiers to strive for excellence in the service of others,” Army officials said.
