Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.” (Mark 10: 23 – 25) 

His statue stands outside the student centre at De Paul University. His journey began as a young seminarian who was not “very bright,” to use his own words.

He realised that 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 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 the 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 was truly wise, choosing to follow what Jesus called him to do and to be. Msgr. Jack Egan, my mentor.