Patrick John Ryan

Patrick John Ryan (1831 – 1911) was a U.S. (Irish-born) Catholic Archbishop. He served as Archbishop of Philadelphia between 1884 and 1911.

Patrick John Ryan was born in the town of Cloneyharp, Co. Tipperary, Ireland on February 20, 1831. He was the sixth Bishop and the second Archbishop of the city of Philadelphia. [web cite|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13282c.htm|title=Patrick John Ryan|work=Catholic Encyclopedia]

He received his early education at the Christian's Brothers School in his home town. When he was 12 years old he went to the Naughton school in Dublin, where he began his study of the Classics.

In 1847 he went to the United States to study at St. Patrick's College in Carlow. He graduated in 1852 and was made a deacon by Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick. He was sent to St. Louis with Rev. Patrick Feehan, who later became the Archbishop of Chicago. Patrick began to teach at the Diocesan Seminary at Carodelet. Near the end of his life, he was assigned yet again to the University of Colorado, where he and another deacon, Adolphus Coorz, developed a theory of libel and slander that later became the basis for New York Times v. Sullivan.

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