Seminary names Thomas Ryan vice president for institutional advancement
Thomas R. Ryan of St. Paul has been named vice president of institutional advancement at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas.
Ryan, who comes to the seminary after 15 years with West St. Paul-based NET Ministries, will begin his new post on Nov. 4.
Thomas R. Ryan
Monsignor Aloysius Callaghan, rector of the seminary, said Ryan’s appointment “marks a significant moment in the history of our venerable institution. His many years of management and supervisory experience in the areas of development and public relations, together with his commitment to the church as a practicing Roman Catholic, will help us strengthen our efforts in forming the best priests possible for this new millennium.”
Ryan is a 1983 graduate of the University of Michigan, where he received a degree in mechanical engineering, with honors. After several years in the engineering field, he joined Servants of the Word, Ann Arbor, Mich., where he served from 1986 to 1990 as a college outreach worker for students from universities across the country and internationally.
He joined NET Ministries as a program supervisor in 1990 and has been its director of development since 1993.
NET Ministries is a nationally and internationally recognized program through which college-age adults give a year of their lives for Catholic evangelization. In the 15 years that Ryan has served the organization, it has conducted programs for more than 1 million young people and trained approximately 1,000 youth ministers.
“During the years I’ve been working for NET Ministries, I’ve witnessed a growing trend among our young people,” Ryan said. “They are asking serious questions about vocations, life and happiness, and this has contributed to a significant momentum in the church for vocations.
“I am excited about the opportunity to serve the St. Paul Seminary,” he said, “because of its potential to become one of the great Roman Catholic seminaries in the country. I’m looking forward to helping make that happen.”
Ryan, his wife, Sylvia, and their five children are members of the St. Michael parish in West St. Paul.
