We welcome Fr. Ryan Healy as the new Administrator of St. Francis Xavier!
Following is his introduction…
I was born on December 25th, 1992. (Yes, by your calculations that does make me only 28! And yes, the irony of a future priest being born on Christmas Day is not lost on me. And no, I did not usually get double presents on my birthday.) I was born and raised in Attleboro, MA by my parents Richard and Christine, along with my older sister Jennifer and younger sister Meghan. As my former parishioners can tell you, stories of my family can often pop up in my homilies, so you’re sure to find out more about them in time.
Before ninth grade, I was educated in the Attleboro public schools, after which I attended Bishop Feehan High School. (It will take time getting used to the reality that I now live in Spartan territory…) The seeds of a priestly vocation were certainly planted by my family, particularly my grandparents who took me to daily mass as a child and had themselves seriously discerned a religious vocation. I was also deeply influenced by my experiences throughout high school at the annual Steubenville East youth conferences held for many years at Lasalette shrine in Attleboro.
Upon graduation from high school, I attended Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. It was there that my discernment of the priesthood took a more serious turn, and I decided after my first two years to transfer to college seminary in order to pursue the diocesan priesthood for the Diocese of Fall River. In 2013, I entered Our Lady of Providence Seminary, graduating from Providence College in 2015 with a bachelors in philosophy. I then at-tended St. John’s Seminary in Brighton before getting ordained in 2019. I come to you after spending the last 2 years in beautiful Falmouth on Cape Cod, assigned as the assistant priest to the three churches of St. Anthony, St. Elizabeth Seton, and St. Pat-rick. (Looking forward to learning the names at just one parish rather than three!)
Over the coming months, I am very excited to personally get to know the parishioners and families here. And I look forward to sustaining and building upon the good work done by the priests who have come before me. I ask for your prayers and patience as I become acclimated to my new role and responsibilities.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Ryan