“Eddie” Egan, as he was known in St. Giles Parish, where he grew up, died on Thursday, March 5, of cardiac arrest at the age of 82. He moved up the ranks through the Archdiocese of Chicago, became a canon lawyer and spent considerable time in Rome, and served as bishop in New York, then Bridgeport, Connecticut, and finally as archbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009.
He was admired for his abilities as an administrator and fundraiser and criticized for his handling of the priest sex abuse scandal. He was a staunch defender of Catholic doctrine and dogma, but according to a report in the New York Times, a month before he retired in 2009, he suggested in a radio interview that the issue of allowing priests to marry was “a perfectly legitimate discussion. I think it has to be looked at.”
According to the Times article, he was born in Oak Park on April 2, 1932 to Genevieve Costello Egan, a former teacher, and Thomas Egan, a sales manager. He had a sister and two brothers, all of whom are deceased.
At the age of 11, he contracted polio and missed two years at St. Giles, but still finished at the top of his class.
He went on to study at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and was ordained in 1957. He served as private secretary to Cardinal Albert Meyer, then to Meyer’s successor, Cardinal John Cody. From 1971 to 1985, he taught canon law in Rome, then served on the Rota, the Vatican’s court system.
He became auxiliary bishop of New York in 1985, then was named bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1988, where served for 12 years. When Cardinal John O’Connor died in 2000, Egan was named his replacement by Pope John Paul II.
He returned to Oak Park on Sept. 1, 2001 to help his home parish celebrate its 75th anniversary.
Here’s how we described his visit in our Sept. 5, 2001 issue:
Ed Egan paid a visit to his home parish Saturday afternoon. That’s Cardinal Ed Egan, head of the New York archdiocese. Or if your prefer to go more formal, Edward Cardinal Egan, or simply, His Eminence.
He does hold the pre-eminent position in the American Catholic Church, New York being New York, and he looks every inch the part in the bright red robes and cap of “the ordinary” as church authorities are officially, and curiously, designated.
There isn’t much ordinary about him actually. He’s a charmer, and in good form this day. “St. Giles is dear to my heart,” he said any number of times, and seemed energized by the setting. When he first arrived, he looked around at his police escort and said, “Police? Oak Park doesn’t need police, does it?” Well, they serve a ceremonial purpose, and this qualified, though there were also a couple of plain-clothes security people on hand for good measure, talking into their shirtsleeves.
Egan headed into the rectory to change from his collar to his crimson, then emerged to meet the press — and the Migliardis, Paula and her daughter, Laura, who were here to view the marblework of Paula’s father, the artisan who created St. Giles’ gorgeous Stations of the Cross more than 50 years ago. It wasn’t clear whether Egan was briefed about this at all, and the Migliardis speak virtually no English, but no matter. Egan fell into comfortable conversation with them, speaking Italian like it was his first language. And, in a sense, it is. He spent enough time in Italy, so he feels just as comfortable with Italian as he is with his native tongue.
He also speaks Spanish and “a lot of others,” which he didn’t go into, but Spanish, he said, is essential in New York these days.
This visit was noteworthy enough that the Sun-Times and Trib both sent reporters and photographers, and CLTV sent a cameraman. All were curious about his Oak Park background, and Egan was more than happy to regale us with memories.
His parents lived at 1219 N. Euclid Ave., just a couple of blocks from here, for 46 years. His dad passed away in the 1980s and his mom moved to River Forest. The last time he was in Oak Park was about 15 years ago. He was visiting his brother in Park Ridge, and they took a swing down to drive past the old haunts. Both parents and all three of his siblings are gone now, so he doesn’t have as many ties.
Of course, he knew the Goedert family, which produced three priests. Ray, who became a bishop himself, was a deacon at Egan’s first Mass at St. Giles. Egan attended grammar school with Ray’s sister, Caroline.
St. Giles was a wonderful school, as modern as any today, he said, giving credit to the Sinsinawa Dominican sisters who taught him. Though you can’t see any signs of it now, he and a brother contracted polio in the early 1940s, long before the vaccine was produced. Back then, he said, polio victims were shunned because people were so frightened of the disease, but Egan said the parish was very supportive and the pastor, Msgr. Frawley, visited regularly. Egan said he ended up being home-schooled by his mother, a former school teacher, for a year.
“I consider it one of the great blessings of my life to be reared in Oak Park,” he said, pointing to the “people of all backgrounds and the community of churches.”
Why was it so important to him to come back for a relatively minor ceremony (the dedication of the new pre-school in the rehabbed convent), asked the Tribune reporter.
“St. Giles is in my heart,” Egan replied.
Then he provided a short synopsis of his career: He served as co-chancellor of the Chicago Archdiocese, then became Cardinal Meyer’s secretary. After that he headed to Rome, first as a student, then as a teacher. Back in Chicago, he served as Cardinal Cody’s secretary until 1972, when he was appointed judge of The Rota in Rome (the church court, Egan being a canon lawyer). After 14 years, he was named auxiliary bishop in New York. Cardinal O’Connor introduced him saying, “He’s from Chicago, and we’re giving him six months to learn our language.”
After four years there, he was named head of a diocese in Connecticut, where he stayed until John Paul II tapped him as successor to O’Connor.
A woman came up to greet him and asked, “Do you know who I am?”
“Of course,” he said, not missing a beat. “You’re Barb’s mother.”
Sister Miguel Hearty sat on a bench in the corner waiting for a chance to greet his eminence, whom she called “Eddie.” Sr. Hearty was principal at St. Giles for six years and taught there for 20. She never taught Eddie, but remembered him well. In fact, she recalled the year he was out with polio but added one pertinent fact. At the end of that school year, Eddie was number one in his class. “He was a scholar,” she recalls. Sr. Hearty is now “semi-retired,” working at Dominican University, tutoring foreign students.
Egan’s first- and third-grade teachers were also planning to attend the Mass that their prize pupil was here to preside over, part of the parish’s 75th anniversary celebration. Father Tom Dore, pastor of St. Giles, had invited Bishop Egan before his sudden ascendancy, and Egan was gracious enough to be held to that acceptance.
After the pre-school dedication, Egan continued his nostalgia tour with the reporters. He did a quick drive-around before arriving at the church Saturday, and said they passed by the Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio, where he used to study piano with then owner, Marian Meyer, an accomplished pianist and teacher. The place looks a little different now, he noted.
They also passed the 19th Century Club, where the young Ed Egan performed his first piano recital. And Eugene Field playground center where he learned to play chess and memorize and recite poetry. “Mr. Pope gave out prizes,” he recalled, “but if you said one wrong word, you were finished.” The winners got blue stars on their foreheads.
Egan also remembered playing football at Greenfield Park (now called Lindberg). “I have a lot of warm memories,” he said. “I’ve never forgotten St. Giles. There’s something sound and solid about Oak Park.”
The other reporters, of course, wanted to press him on the “issues and challenges he faces in New York,” but the parishioners were more interested in the present — and the past. One of the best and brightest had returned. The church was packed with classmates, members of St. Giles’ “sharing parishes” on Chicago’s West Side, and “alumni” priests. This was one Mass they were ready to celebrate.
In his homily, Egan thanked all eight of his grammar school teachers — by name.
Ten days later was 9/11.