Pope John Paul II on Thursday named Oak Park native Bishop Edward M. Egan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., to succeed Cardinal John O’Connor as head of the New York archdiocese.
Egan, 68, known as a staunch conservative and ardent supporter of the pope on issues such as the condemnation of abortion, homosexual acts and contraception, will become the spiritual leader of New York’s 2.4 million Catholics. The announcement came eight days after O’Connor, 80, died after a long battle with cancer.
“Certainly he has the competence and the ability to rise to this task. I have no doubt that he will do quite well and be well-received,” said Bishop Raymond Goedert, vicar general of the archdiocese of Chicago who went to the seminary with Egan.
An expert on canon law, Egan’s appointment brings him back to New York, where he was appointed in 1985 by O’Connor, at the pope’s request, to be auxiliary bishop and vicar for education.
After graduating from St. Giles School in Oak Park, Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago and St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Egan was ordained a priest for the Chicago Archdiocese in 1957. He later received a doctorate in canon law from the Gregorian University in Rome, where he also studied before being ordained.
In 1958, he was assigned to the staff of Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago, and the following year he was named secretary and master of ceremonies to Cardinal Albert Meyer. He was also named assistant chancellor.
He later became co-chancellor and secretary for the archdiocesan commissions on Human Relations and Ecumenism, where he helped draft a plan the archdiocese still uses that details how Catholics can work with members of other faiths.
Egan later spent 18 years at the Vatican as assistant vice rector of the North American College in Rome and an auditor of the Sacred Roman Rota.
Egan has served as bishop of Bridgeport since December 1988.
