Item 1627 - Fr John MacEgan SJ

Born: 1599/1600, Streamstown, County Meath
Entered: 05 April 1620, Villagarcía, Galicia, Spain - Castellanae Province (CAST)
Ordained: c 1627, Salamanca, Spain
Final Vows: 21 September 1636
Died: 27 July 1666, Irish College, Santiago de Compostella, Spain - Castellanae Province (CAST)

First Vows 05 April 1620??
1625 At Salamanca College teaching Grammar and studying Theology and Philosophy for 5 years - good for Missions
1633 At Monreal College CAST has been Minister and Procurator
1646 in Kilkenny (1650 Catalogue CAST says on Mission from 1638)
1655 Professor of Moral Theology at Oviedo
1665-1667 At Compostella Teaching Theology, Philosophy, Grammar.
No dates given for Teaching Theology at Segovia, Ávila and considered as Superior of Irish Seminaries

◆ Fr Edmund Hogan SJ “Catalogica Chronologica” :
Two Entries
1625 At Salamanca (in pen)
1634 Procurator as Castile
1649 In Kilkenny teaching Philosophy
He was a distinguished Preacher, and is styled “truly learned and good, modest and humble” Knew English, Irish, Spanish and Latin. Taught Philosophy for four years, also Professor of Theology at Ávila and elsewhere, and a Preacher and Confessor for ten years.
“A model religious; most learned in human and divine science, distinguished Preacher, truly learned, modest and humble” (Mercure Verdier, Visitor to Irish Mission 1649)
Names in a list of Irish Jesuits 1650 (ARSI)Called “MacEgan” in Peter Walsh’s “Remonstrance”
Suggestion that his name was “MacGeoghegan” of Westmeath
(cf a Sketch of him in “Irish Colleges Abroad”; Foley’s Collectanea)

◆ Fr Francis Finegan SJ ;
Son of Robert and Marcella née Coffey
Had studied Philosophy probably at Santiago before Ent 05 April 1620 Villagarcía
After First Vows he was sent on Regency for two years teaching in CAST Colleges, and then resumed his studies at Royal College Salamanca (1623-1627) and he was Ordained there in 1627.
1627-1637 Sent teaching Humanities, first to Segovia, then to Monforte de Lemos, and finally to Monterey where he was both Minister and Operarius in the Church. During these years he was keen to be sent to Ireland, but permission to go did not arrive until 1637.
1637 Sent to Ireland and Kilkenny, where he devoted himself once more to teaching and on the establishment of a school of Philosophy and where he taught.
In the controversy between the Supreme Council and Rinuccini, MacEgan took the part of the latter but kept as far as possible out of the disputes. The author of the “Aphorismical Discovery” states that he was “the only Jesuit not to swerve from his fourth vow” (This was perhaps untrue, as only a very small minority of Jesuits, but a vocal one, opposed the Nuncio).
1653 He returned to Spain - probably deported. He was appointed to a Chair of Moral Theology at the College of Oviedo
1660 He was appointed to a Chair of Moral Theology at the Irish College Compostela
1662 Fr General gave his permission for him to return to Ireland, but the permission was not acted on probably because of poor health, and he died at Compostela 27 July 1667

◆ George Oliver Towards Illustrating the Biography of the Scotch, English and Irish Members SJ
EGAN, JOHN, was living at Kilkenny in 1649, and then 55 years of age. He was teaching Philosophy,and was a superior Preacher; but what is more, he deserved the character of being “truly learned and good, modest and humble."