The son of Irish immigrants, Michael Ready was born in Connecticut, the second of 14 children. He was educated at St. Bernard Seminary in Rochester, New York, at St. Mary Seminary in Cleveland, and ordained to the priesthood in 1918. Ready served as director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the Diocese of Cleveland 1931, when he was named Assistant General Secretary of the NCWC. He was elevated to the General Secretary in 1936. Throughout his career, Ready was outspoken in support of the Church and religious freedom, particularly denouncing the situations in Russia under Stalin and Spain during the Civil War. In 1945, he was consecrated Bishop of Columbus, Ohio, and for the remainder of his life he was active in his diocese in founding various charitable and devotional societies, and supporting the creation of new parishes. Ready died in Columbus in 1957.