Fireworks

From a foundry floor in Chile during the 1973 coup to an aquarium in Boston, from the cottage of a Catholic priest in France to the Russian Orthodox church down the block, Jerry Ryan sought God’s presence everywhere. Often, he found it in unlikely and quarrelsome prophets, in ordinary acts of bravery and love performed by those with no institutional power, with no special saintly status. For almost fifty years, Jerry Ryan wrote about these encounters with humility, honesty, and humor.

This collection of Ryan’s writing seeks to uncover unfamiliar manifestations of the truth, which can offer itself to us under various disguises, many of which are difficult to observe or bear, others of which are unexpectedly beautiful. Ryan’s love of learning, of neighbor, and of God shines throughout his work; he is accessible even when discussing complex aspects of theology, and never afraid to demand accountability from the Church hierarchy. Reading his work, one can’t help but be delighted and challenged by the grandeur of the quotidian, inspired to think more clearly and live more thoughtfully.