It is with great sadness that I learned of the sudden death of His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan (April 2, 1932 – March 5, 2015) this afternoon in New York City where he served as Archbishop from 2000-2009.  He was 82.

In my role as President of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., the national university of the Catholic Church in our Country.  I had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with many great leaders of the Roman Catholic Church.  Cardinal Egan was one of them.  I had first met him, however, before my Washington appointment, when I was Academic Dean at St. John’s University in New York and he was Bishop of Bridgeport.  I helped him make arrangements for his seminarians there, something he always remembered and mentioned when we would meet.

Cardinal Egan was a devoted priest and bishop, an outstanding canon lawyer and confidant of Pope St. John Paul II, a talented musician and pianist, and a true gentleman, gifted with a great sense of humor.  His tenure as Archbishop of New York served the Archdiocese well and helped it steer a strong financial course through effective, albeit quiet, fundraising.

Afflicted with polio as a child, Cardinal Egan was very kind to me during my own recent illness.  I heard from him only a few weeks ago in a beautiful, encouraging letter.  Whenever I had the pleasure to be in his company at meetings or social gatherings, he never neglected the opportunity to stop and talk.  He was kind.

The Church has lost a good priest and bishop today, a man of faith.  I am grateful to have known him and I pray that he may now earn the reward for his generous service of God’s people.

Respectfully yours in the Lord,

Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M., J.C.D.
Bishop of Trenton