Egan, Edward Michael (1932-2015), was named a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 2001. Egan served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York from 2000 to 2009. Egan previously was bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut, a position he had held since 1988.
Egan was born on April 2, 1932, in Oak Park, Illinois. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in 1953. He was ordained a priest at the Vatican in 1957 and continued his education at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He earned an advanced degree in theology in 1958 and a doctor’s degree in canon (church) law in 1964.
Egan served as assistant chancellor and secretary to John Cardinal Cody in Chicago from 1964 to 1968 and as co-chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago from 1968 to 1972. Egan returned to the Vatican as an auditor and then a judge in the Sacred Roman Rota, a church court, from 1972 to 1985. In 1985, he became auxiliary bishop and vicar for education of the Archdiocese of New York. Egan won praise for improving the Catholic education system in the Diocese of Bridgeport and also for his work in dialogue with members of other religious traditions while serving in Chicago. Egan died on March 5, 2015.
