"A Labor of Love"

For decades, the statue of Saint Joseph in Our Lady’s Chapel in Dooley Hall stood with an empty hand – a fact that always bothered Gonzaga President Fr. Joseph Lingan, SJ, ‘75. However, thanks to alumnus Mike Ryan ‘61 that’s no longer the case.

A retired attorney and amateur artist and sculptor, Mike met Father Lingan while attending Gonzaga Alumni Association meetings the past few years. He is also the uncle of Gonzaga staff member Ms. Kathy Nealon. 

This past spring, Father Lingan and Kathy were discussing how they might fill the statue’s empty hand when Kathy suggested they ask her uncle if he would be willing to carve something for St. Joseph to hold. Mike was thrilled to help. 

Father Lingan and Mike agreed that St. Joseph would hold a staff adorned with lilies, a symbol long associated with the saint. Mike began the process of creating the staff with a block of basswood from a linden tree. He opted for an asymmetrical arrangement of one bud and two flowers in bloom. Mike used a knife for rough shaping, a bandsaw for precise cuts, and an electric sander for smoothing. The flowers were crafted from a single piece of wood, with buds attached by pegs. The intricate curves of the petals, challenging due to the wood grain, were meticulously hand-sanded.

For Mike, whose middle name is Joseph, the project was deeply personal. He says he remembers attending Mass in the chapel as both a student and parent when his son, Devin Ryan ‘98, was going through Gonzaga. As he worked, a photo of St. Joseph that Father Lingan gave to him hung in his workspace. “This was a labor of love,” Mike says.