Cardinal Edward Egan Dies at 82

NY1
March 5, 2015

http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2015/03/5/cardinal-edward-egan-dies-at-82.html


Cardinal Edward Egan, who served as the Archbishop of New York from 2000 to 2009, died Thursday at the age of 82.

Church officials said Egan was having lunch with his secretary Thursday afternoon when he went into cardiac arrest. He died at NYU Langone Medical Center at 2:20 p.m.

Egan is being remembered as a solid administrator who improved the finances of the archdiocese.

After being appointed Archbishop, Egan set out to improve the finances of the Archdiocese of New York. He trimmed the budget, closed churches and undertook a fundraising effort to raise private money for the church.

The budget of Catholic charities doubled while he was in charge, and the number of parishioners increased by more than 200,000.

"He loved this city, he loved his priests and the sisters amd the parishes, and especially the people," said Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Dolan remembered his predecessor for his sense of humor.

"I think sometimes, people thought he was all business, but you could not have asked for better company. You could not have asked for somebody better at a table," Dolan said. "With his anecdotes and his wisdom, he really was a good time, and he made me laugh."

Egan also apologized in 2002 for sex abuse in the Catholic Church, but 10 years later, when he was retired, he recanted. He said, "I never should have said that...I don’t think we did anything wrong."

Unlike his predecessors, Cardinal Cook and Cardinal O'Connor, who had big public profiles and were politically powerful figures, Cardinal Egan was more of an administrator for the Archdiocese.

He was born on April 2, 1932, in Oak Park, Illinois, and he had polio as a child. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1957 and consecrated a bishop in 1985.

From 1985 to 1988, Cardinal Egan served as Auxiliary Bishop and Vicar for Education of the Archdiocese of New York. In 1988, he was appointed the Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport by Pope John Paul II. He was made a cardinal in 2001.

He is perhaps best remembered for his leadership during the city's most challenging time. After the September 11th attacks, Egan offered hope, comfort and faith to victims and survivors.

Egan will be laid to rest next to his predecessor, Cardinal John O'Connor, in the crypt under St. Patrick's Cathedral.

Funeral arragnements are still being finalized.