Social Justice Award Breakfast

DePaul held remembrance of Msgr. John J Egan on Oct. 9, the 86th anniversary of his birth...

DePaul University’s Egan Urban Center honored the legacy of Msgr. John J. Egan at the first annual Social Justice Award Breakfast on Wednesday, October 9, from 8.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Student Center, 2250 N. Sheffield Ave., Room 120. The Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor of St. Sabina Church delivered the keynote address and received the first Egan Social Justice Award.

The occasion marked the 86th anniversary of the late social activist’s birth. At the time of his death in May 2001, Egan held the position of assistant to the president for community affairs at DePaul, where he had worked for 15 years. Ordained a priest in 1943, Egan fought tirelessly for the poor and was visibly in the forefront of Catholic social issues throughout his extensive term of community service. Known as - the people’s priest -, the former pastor of Presentation Parish on Chicago’s west side and member of the board of the National Catholic Reporter, marched in Selma, Alabama with Martin L, King, Jr. in the 1960s, and walked the picket lines with Chicago union workers in the 1990s. Msgr. Egan was the recipient of numerous awards and honors recognizing his pioneering efforts for social justice.

The inaugural Social Justice Award offers a vehicle to recognize individuals who embody the sprit, courage and commitment of Msgr. Egan. As an advocate for justice and voice against racism, Pfleger, 53, who is a Diocesan priest like Egan, has attracted national headlines by spreading social protest movements in Chicago. In 1997, after waging a successful campaign against alcohol and tobacco billboards in African American communities, Pfleger won a major victory when Chicago City Council voted to ban billboards throughout most of the city.

The Egan Urban Center represents DePaul’s enduring commitment to develop and deliver innovative educational programs and services that have significant social impact and give expression to the university’s Vincentian mission. The Egan Urban Center was founded in 1994 and has offices on DePaul’s Loop and Lincoln Park campuses. Dr. Michael Bennett is the executive director.

DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private university in Chicago. Founded by followers of St. Vincent de Paul, the 17th century French priest who dedicated his life to serving the poor, DePaul’s mission emphasizes academic excellence, service to the community, access to education and respect for individual. The university enrolls a richly diverse population of 21,363 students in nine colleges and schools. DePaul offers a wide range of academic and professional programs on eight campuses in the Chicago area.