It is announced today, Tuesday 26th April, that John Ryan (1978 class) is appointed the new bishop-elect of the diocese of Mzuzu in Malawi.
John comes from Holycross, Co. Tipperary, Ireland and was ordained for St Patrick's Missionary Society in 1978. John has worked in the Diocese of Mzuzu for 38 years.
John has been working as Chaplain in Mzuzu University where he is also on the staff as a professor in the Department of Mathematics. He also assists in St Augustine's Parish, Luwinga.
The Diocese of Mzuzu was originally part of the Prefecture Apostolic of Northern Nyassa and was erected a diocese on the 17th January 1961. Bishop Jean Louis Jobidon M. Afr. was consecrated the first bishop of the diocese on 22nd May 1961. Fathers Alfie Byrne, Frank Morris, Padraig Ó Máille and Pat McGivern were our first St Patrick's Missionaries to go on mission to the diocese in 1970. Upon the retirement of Bishop Jobidon, Fr John Roche was appointed Apostolic Administrator in 1987. On the 3rd March 1995 Joseph Mukasa Zuza was appointed bishop of the diocese. Bishop Zuza was tragically killed in a road accident on the 15th January 2015 and the diocese has been without a bishop since this time. The diocese comprises the northern districts of Rumphi, Mzimba, Nkhata Bay and part of the central district region of Kazungu. In total the diocese has 11 parishes. We wish John our prayerful good wishes as he becomes the new shepherd of the diocese of Mzuzu.
