Gentle wisdom a gift to all
Obituaries
Obituary - Sr Joan Ryan, who died in March 2025, was a much-loved member of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan
Sr Joan Ryan SGS
Born July 18 1928
Died March 22 2025
Sr Joan Ryan, a much-loved member of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, is remembered by many as a teacher, principal, listener and companion.
She listened to many and offered gentle wisdom. Her quiet sense of humour, patient companionship and, as she aged, her acceptance of her increasing fragility was a gift to all those she encountered.
Joan Teresa was born in Werribee, Victoria, to devout Catholic parents, Owen and Margaret Ryan (nee Shanahan) and was baptised two days later in St Andrew’s Church. Joan was the third child in a family of six. The eldest, Mary Bernadette, died in infancy.
Joan grew up in a loving family atmosphere together with her four brothers, Owen, Edmond, Thomas and Leo. Owen and Edmond later joined the Redemptorist Order.
Joan attended the local convent school conducted by the Sisters of St Joseph before being selected for a diocesan scholarship to St Ita’s in North Fitzroy. Here she met the Sisters of the Good Samaritan for the first time.
Joan completed her secondary schooling with the Good Samaritan Sisters, first as a boarder at St Brendan’s College Coragulac, then at Santa Maria College, Northcote, after her father’s death prompted a family move to Preston.
Discerning a call to join the ‘Good Sams’, Joan began a new chapter of her life when she entered the novitiate at Pennant Hills, Sydney, on July 2 1946, and was given the religious name of Sr Mary Reginald. When the opportunity came later, Joan reverted to her baptismal name.
Joan made her profession of vows on January 6 1949, and moved to St Scholastica’s Glebe Point where she attended the Teacher Training College, gaining a Certificate of Teaching. This enabled her to continue her ministry of teaching, which she had begun as a young student teacher in rural Purnim near Warrnambool before entering religious life.
Joan’s primary and secondary teaching ministry spanned 29 years, including principalships at St Brendan’s, Coragulac, and Santa Maria College, Northcote. Over this period, Joan attained a Bachelor of Arts Degree and diplomas in Catechetics and Spirituality for Leadership.
Sr Joan wholeheartedly embraced the winds of renewal which were stirred in the Church by the Second Vatican Council, beginning in the early 1960s. She shared its fruits enthusiastically with staff, students and parents in her years of school ministry and with her Sisters and other Religious in her many roles of leadership and formation.
For almost 35 years, Joan was involved in adult spirituality, faith formation of school staff, spiritual direction and retreat ministry in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
At the beginning of 1992 Joan spent six months studying overseas before coming to live in Adelaide at Seacombe Heights. Being a spiritual director, Joan became a member of the Archdiocesan Retreat Team in August. She continued in this role when in 1994 she was appointed as the Vicar for Religious. At the end of 1996 Joan returned to
St Scholastica’s Glebe Point, as a member of the Congregational Centre Team.
In 2010, Joan returned to her home state of Victoria where she continued a part-time ministry in spiritual direction. In 2013, she made the choice to enter residential care, sensing within herself that this would be her final community.
As Joan’s health declined and she had to surrender her precious ministry of spiritual direction, she continued to let all who interacted with her know of God’s love for them and how precious they were to God.
Joan’s final years were spent in serene acceptance of her dependence on care at Mercy Place, Keon Park. It was at Mercy Place that she died peacefully on Saturday March 22 2025.
Christian spirituality was one of Joan’s loves and her deep, personal faith along with her understanding of human nature and her gift for compassionate listening, enabled her to accompany many people as a spiritual director and retreat giver. Joan’s capacity to welcome and to be a listening presence to whoever sought her counsel are remembered with gratitude.
Sr Joan’s funeral Mass was held on March 31 at Santa Maria College Chapel, Northcote, followed by her committal at Fawkner Cemetery in Melbourne.
– Sr Marie O’Shea sgs
