Egan recalled for humor, intelligence and local visits

Long before he came to Dutchess County, Rev. James Cruz of St. Mary' parish in Wappingers Falls served as a secretary to Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

When his tenure under Dolan ended, Cruz received a note from Dolan's predecessor, Cardinal Edward Egan.

The note welcomed Cruz to the "order for former priest secretaries to cardinals."

Of course, no such order exists. But the note was indicative of Egan's playful side, Cruz said.

"He was always so kind," Cruz said.

Those who knew him, or just met him briefly, were recalling Egan's warmth, keen intelligence and disarming sense of humor. Egan died Thursday of cardiac arrest. He was 82.

Wappingers Falls resident Patty Constanzo said she met Egan during a ceremony at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.

"He was very friendly," she said. His death "is a great loss to the Catholic Church."

Egan retired in 2009 after nine years as archbishop of New York. During his tenure, he was a frequent visitor to the mid-Hudson Valley — a trend that continued even after he retired. Of the 297,388 residents of Dutchess County in 2010, 111,112 were Catholics, according to the Association of Religious Data Archives.

Egan came to Dutchess County as recently as one year ago in his capacity as archbishop emeritus, attending a gala hosted by the Regina Coeli Parish and School. The parish celebrated its 150th year in 2014.

Rob Rolison, chairman of the Dutchess County Legislature, remembers the event well.

"One of the things I remember specifically was his love and admiration for those students," Rolison said, "and how they obviously felt that way about him... They were hanging on every word he said — and so was I."

Rev. George Sears of St. Mary's Church in Poughkeepsie was looking forward to having dinner with Egan later this year.

Egan, Sears said, would invite the seminarians he ordained on the 10th anniversary of their priesthood.

Sears said Egan had great charm and always saw himself as a faithful servant of the church.

"I think during his tenure, he visited nearly every parish in the archdiocese," Sears said.

Indeed, in the years since his retirement, Egan continued to return to Dutchess County.

He celebrated Mass and blessed the new James J. McCann Athletic Field at Our Lady of Lourdes High School in 2013.

He celebrated Mass and the 10th anniversary of then Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha parish in the Town of LaGrange in 2012, just months before the 17th century Native American, who the parish was named after, was elevated to saint.

Kateri Tekakwitha held a special place in Egan's heart.

It was the only new parish that was created during his tenure as archbishop, according to Msgr. Desmond O'Connor, who served as Egan's director of priest personnel from 2002 to 2007.

Egan was intimately involved in the planning of the new church on Route 82, O'Connor said.

He said the church was Egan's dream, and stands now as a powerful testament to his legacy.

John Ferro: 845-437-4816; jferro@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @PoJoEnviro

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