Fr Noel Ryan RIP [1938 - 2008]

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Fr Noel Ryan SSC

Father Noel Ryan was born on 26th December, 1938 in Ballyhooley, Co Cork. His attended Bruree primary school and St Colmans College, Fermoy. He commenced his studies for missionary priesthood in St Columbans, Dalgan Park, Navan in 1956. Following his ordination in 1963 Noel was assigned to Korea where he worked in Chun Cheon Diocese and the Archdiocese of Seoul.

He was bursar of the Korean region before he became chaplain to the Young Christian Workers.  The government did not permit labor unions to protect the workers. He did heroic work ministering to the needs of young factory workers in Seoul who had to work dawn-to-dusk hours for minimum wages in working conditions that threatened their personal safety. 
 
He was assigned to the US Region in 1982 where he continued his ministry to Korean Catholics living in southern California, serving in the Catholic Korean Apostolate (San Fernando Valley),  San Diego Korean Center, Saint Gregory's Parish and St. Mary's Parish (both in Los Angeles). More recently he was assigned to St Columbans in Omaha.
 
Noel was known for his fluency in the Korean language and each year he wrote Lenten and Advent daily meditation books which were distributed to all Korean Catholic centers and which were greatly appreciated by the people.  He was also well known for his ability to remember the names of any Korean he met, especially those he had baptized or married many years before.
 
He had a great compassion for people who were suffering and was chaplain to the Little Company of Jesus, serving the needs of people with physical or mental disabilities.  Noel made himself available to the Korean Catholics in Los Angeles, whether they needed somebody to speak with, a visit to a family member in hospital, or to bless their house.  It was said that the only Korean word he did not learn was "no!"
 
Noel took ill whilst visiting Los Angeles. He was admitted to Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Los Angeles on Monday, November 10, with a serious infection in his leg.  Complications from the infection resulted in kidney failure and Noel was placed in ICU. He received dialysis and other treatments but his body eventually succumbed to the infection resulting in his death on Monday, November 17. 

The funeral Mass is on Saturday, November 22nd at 10:00 am., in St. Mary’s Korean Center, Rowland Heights, CA. Interment will be at a later date in Ireland.

May he rest in peace.