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Homily stories

24 Jul 2011 - Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A

As a journalist gathered notes for a story on Msgr. Jack Egan, renowned labor priest, she could feel his eyes searching her face. Egan was 80 at the time and had already become a legend among Catholic activists as a man who spoke truth to power and fought racial discrimination and social injustice with the faith and ferocity of an Old Testament prophet. His virtues were many, but the one he displayed that day--an understanding heart--surprised his young admirer. Egan had asked her some searing questions about what she was doing with her life. She knew her accomplishments and concerns were minor compared with the great things this courageous man had achieved. With Egan's prompting, she finally admitted to being stymied by a broken heart over a lost love. She then quickly dismissed her problem as petty and insignificant compared with the suffering of people around the world. "Young lady," Egan said, "don't ever diminish the pain you feel. Your pain is as real as anyone else's and equally worthy of healing." She considers the wisdom shared that day her pearl of great price.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

jack egan priest activists pain

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Homily stories

04 Jul 2021 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

On the southeast corner of Belden and Sheffield in front of the Student Center of DePaul University in Chicago stands a statue more than nine feet tall of Msgr. Jack Egan. His hands reach out cupped, as though he was sharing something very precious. The statue is sometimes referred to as the “Statue of the Man with the Big Hands” because they are disproportionately oversized. Msgr. Egan was a legendary priest in Chicago. He served as an inner-city pastor, embracing community organizing, empowering lay ministry, working at Notre Dame with Father Ted Hesburgh, fighting injustice from contract selling and red lining housing, advocating nuclear disarmament, advocating for the rights of women and mistreated workers—much of this well before Vatican II. From his deathbed in May 2001, he was still protesting predatory loan stores invading the city’s poorest neighborhoods. He was proudly and emotionally Irish-American who never lost his blue-collar roots even though he had donned the white collar of priesthood. He wore his heart on his sleeve. He loved both his church and his country fiercely, which compelled him to reach out those hands to anyone being treated unjustly. The gospel always compelled him , whether marching at the side of Dr. King in Selma or celebrating the funeral of a street person with no family. Some in power were threatened by him. Many who worked with him and were empowered by him loved him. He was both a patriot and a prophet with big hands whose life we can celebrate this Independence Day weekend.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

jack egan prophets

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Quotes

04 Jul 2021 - Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

The call of the Lord comes to you through the needs of other people. You just don’t say no to the call of the Lord. —Msgr. Jack Egan I am not in the slightest displeased, Margaret, that your frailty causes you to fear. God gave us both the grace to despair of ourselves and to entrust ourselves entirely, in utter dependence, to the strength of hope. —Saint Thomas More, from a letter to his daughter Let orators keep their eloquence, philosophers their wisdom, kings their kingdoms; for us, Christ is glory, riches, and kingdom; for us, wisdom is the folly of the gospel; for us, strength is the weakness of the flesh and glory the scandal of the cross. —Saint Paulinus of Nola

jack egan

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Homily stories

13 Oct 2024 - Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

His statue stands outside the student center at De Paul University. His journey began as a young seminarian who was not “very bright,” to use his own words. He realized that to make it to ordination in those days required that he pass all his classes, which wasn’t easy for him and even more important, to keep all the rules, many of which were archaic to the point of meaningless. That was harder. But the reward ultimately would be difficult as well, but also great. After ordination he found himself freed up to let the people in the parish teach him what it really meant to be a priest. His ministry blossomed as he reached out to the disenfranchised, to young adults, to the poor, to those whose voices were not being heard by society or the church. One cardinal tried to silence him, forcing him out of the diocese. He was able to return when a new cardinal invited him back. He gathered a group of us who were, at that time, young pastors to share his vision of justice and the priesthood as he continued to reach out to promote the gospel in his old age. A few days before he died, from his bed, he was urging the city to control predatory storefront loan offices preying on the poor. His priesthood went far beyond keeping the rules, the commandments. He truly was wise, choosing to follow what Jesus called him to do and to be. Msrg. Jack Egan, my mentor.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

msgr. jack egan Wisdom mentor

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Quotes

13 Oct 2024 - Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B

What we must have now are organized interrelated ministries. The act of social justice is organization. —Msgr. Jack Egan Faith does not force obedience, though it increases responsibility. —Saint John Henry Newman

msgr. jack egan john henry newman

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