Lake Zurich Flock Stunned As Pastor Pulled Amid Maryville Abuse Suit

The longtime pastor of St. Francis de Sales in Lake Zurich, the Rev. David F. Ryan, has been removed from active ministry while a renewed allegation tied to his years at Maryville Academy is reviewed. The move comes just as parish leaders were publicly praising Ryan’s “exemplary leadership” and inviting parishioners to share memories for a keepsake book, even as the Archdiocese was quietly shifting his status. It is the latest turn in a controversy that has put Ryan under formal scrutiny more than once and sparked civil filings in Cook County.

What the archdiocese wrote

In a letter to the parish, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich said that, effective Feb. 1, Ryan is now retired and that the pastor role at St. Francis de Sales is vacant. Cupich appointed the Rev. Steven Lanza as parish administrator through June 30, 2026, and directed Ryan to stay away from all parish and school activities while the allegation is under review. The Cardinal’s letter and the parish announcement were posted on the parish website, according to St. Francis de Sales Parish.

The allegations and the lawsuit

The new allegation is detailed in a Cook County civil complaint that claims Ryan sexually abused a child in the mid-1990s while serving on staff at Maryville Academy, according to the Chicago Tribune. The plaintiff, identified as John Doe 6, says he was placed at Maryville in 1996 and that the abuse continued for about a year. The filing also includes accusations from nearly a dozen other former residents. Plaintiffs’ attorneys have urged Church officials to examine deposition testimony and other records they argue are critical to the inquiry, according to a public release from Gould Grieco & Hensley.

Parish reaction and praise

Recent parish bulletins lauded Ryan’s “exemplary leadership” and invited parishioners to “gather our memories” for a memory book, a tone that has complicated the mood in the pews as word of his removal spread. Staff members also requested prayers, encouraged cards and letters to be sent to the ministry center, and highlighted Ryan’s role in pulling the parish out of debt after his 2006 appointment, according to the Chicago Tribune. That combination of gratitude and concern has left some longtime members wrestling with how to respond while both civil and Church processes unfold.

Legal implications

The filing is a civil lawsuit. The Archdiocese says it has reported the allegation to civil authorities and has offered the accuser services through its Victim Assistance Ministry while the case is investigated. Under the Archdiocese of Chicago’s procedures, the review involves the Office for the Protection of Children and Youth and a lay-majority Independent Review Board that advises the archbishop on a priest’s fitness for ministry. Plaintiffs’ counsel argue that existing deposition testimony should be considered as part of that work, consistent with the Archdiocese’s published procedures and their own public statements. For more on the plaintiffs’ public push, see the release from Gould Grieco & Hensley and the policy outline at the Archdiocese of Chicago.

What’s next for the parish

Internal Church investigations and any Independent Review Board consideration can stretch over weeks or months, while the civil case follows the Cook County court schedule. Parish staff have called for patience and prayers and directed questions to the parish office, according to the parish announcement, and local reporting notes that the Archdiocese’s victim-assistance resources remain available for anyone seeking support. Court filings and public statements from the Archdiocese, the parish, and plaintiffs’ counsel are expected to shape what comes next for St. Francis de Sales.