Services for Monsignor Edward Ryle, longtime lobbyist for Arizona’s Catholic bishops, are scheduled for Thursday at St. Augustine’s Cathedral in Tucson.
A wake will be from 1 to 2:30 p.m., followed by a funeral Mass.
Ryle, 75, died Wednesday at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix. He suffered a subdural hematoma at his Phoenix home Dec. 3 and never recovered.
He was known as the "conscience of the Legislature" when he lobbied on behalf of the Arizona Catholic Conference from 1983 until his retirement in 2003. Ryle advocated for the poor and worked successfully to abolish the death penalty in Arizona for the mentally retarded.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Monsignor Ryle Fund through the Catholic Community Foundation. Call (602) 354-2400 or visit www.ccfphx.org.
Ryle established the fund earlier this year to provide grants for projects that address social problems in Arizona.
