Fr. Ryan holds the Blessed Michael J. McGivney Chair in Life Ethics at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, where he teaches moral theology and eschatology and gives spiritual direction. He is also the chaplain of Courage Detroit. A priest of the USA East Province of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Ryan was ordained in 1987 and holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He previously served as executive director of the Secretariat of Doctrine and Canonical Affairs of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. His work has been published in a variety of journals, including Gregorianum, Theological Studies, Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly, and National Catholic Bioethical Quarterly, on such topics as the indissolubility of marriage, contraception, embryo adoption, discernment, and the relationship between moral action and ultimate human fulfillment. He is presently working on a book on the theology of heaven and hell and its significance for the new evangelization.
