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Father John Joseph Egan, a Roman Catholic priest and social activist, was born on October 9, 1916 in New York. He grew up in Chicago and studied Business at DePaul University in Chicago. He completed his studies at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, and then at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL. Father Egan entered the Society of Jesus in September, 1940, and spent 61 years as a Jesuit priest. Ordained for the Archdiocese of Chicago, he worked several years in its inner city, and became a social activist and advocate for racial integration. He marched with Martin Luther King from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Father Egan accepted a position at Notre Dame University, where he founded the Catholic Committee on Urban Ministry, which worked for social justice. In the early 1970’s, he worked with Church leaders to advocate for the social justice concerns of the members of the Mexican-American Catholic College. Father Egan founded the Contract Buyers' League which fought against real estate discrimination against newly urbanized black home buyers. He also co-founded the United Power for Action and Justice. He was the first Director of the Office of Urban Affairs for the Chicago Roman Catholic Archdiocese from 1958 to 1969. He won the Religious Leader's Award from Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH in 1987. He was the subject of a 1991 biography "An Alley in Chicago" by Margery Frisbie. He was Assistant to the Presidents of both DePaul and Notre Dame Universities.
An avid sports fan, Father Egan wrote Dynasty, the Story of USF Soccer, 1931-1997. He was in charge of the Negoesco Stadium project, a concept born from a discussion between Egan and Negoesco on a plane ride home from the 1978 National Championships. The total cost was $175,000, and he raised $150,000 in funding. Four years later, on September 17, 1982, Negoesco Stadium opened before a crown of 3,000 supporters.
In 2013, at the age of 91, Father Egan wrote the book Vatican II Renewal, Path to the Future of the Church. The noted writer Thomas C. Fox said in the National Catholic Reporter: "He has the ability to infuse the spiritual seamlessly into our ordinary lives.” The Msgr. John J. Egan Office of Urban Education and Community Partnerships at DePaul University is named in his honor.
Photo courtesy of Jesuits Midwest.
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