Fr. Patrick Egan, OSB, who has served as Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in downtown Cullman for the past 16 years, will be heading to a new assignment as Pastor of St. Michael’s Church in St. Florian, Alabama in early June.

His formative years were spent in Florence, Alabama, receiving a grammar school Catholic religious education, followed by Coffee High School studies, later earning a Bachelor of Science degree in history and political science from the University of North Alabama (Florence State University), then followed by a Master of Science degree in counselor education from Long Island University.

College days behind him, he turned his life toward his childhood dream of military service. Reporting to Fort Benning on June 5, 1971, Egan was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. His leadership abilities paved the way for success as an Infantry and executive and training officer, as well as being tank battalion XO and infantry and garrison commander. He served as assistant chief of staff for installation management at the Pentagon.

His military career took him from Fort Benning to West Point and to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm during Persian Gulf War. After 30 years of distinguished military service, Egan retired as a colonel in 2001.

Following his military career, he turned his thoughts toward a religious life. He entered St. Bernard Abbey’s monastic formation program in 2001 followed by further studies at St. Vincent Archabbey, Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Returning to St. Bernard for his ordination on June 5, 2006, he officially became Fr. Patrick Egan, OSB, a monk/priest of the Benedictine Order.

His first assignment was with the campus’s Ave Maria Grotto, but shortly thereafter he was placed as Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in downtown Cullman. Arriving in June 2009, he met the challenges of his new ‘job.’ With the assistance of current church leaders, they tackled a list of more than 125 much needed repairs for the 100-year-old building. One most imperative project was the repairing of the numerous stained-glass windows of the church, as well as the replacement of the ‘Rose’ windows, a long-talked about project. Egan soon had the congregation supporting the numerous capital campaigns needed for the restoration projects. Many current parishioners are descendants of the original ‘builders’ of the sanctuary.

Two years ago on Palm Sunday an electrical fire ended the life of the century-old Austin Pipe Organ. This resulted in a major fundraising campaign, providing an opportunity for all parishioners to band together and raise the needed money through events. The new organ was installed in December, 2024.

Two main themes, among many, have defined Egan’s time with his congregation, those being education and participation in church life. He has created numerous classes to share his knowledge about the roots of Catholicism through the Apologetics Class, Parish Book Club, the RCIA program for those who wish to learn more about the Catholic faith and possibly wish to join, as well as weekly Bible study classes.

During his tenure and support at Sacred Heart of Jesus, numerous religious prayer programs, while already in effect, have grown and flourished, including Divine Mercy, First Fridays, daily Eucharistic Adoration, numerous opportunities for Confessions and seventeen Masses offered during the week. Church missions, guest speakers bringing unique topics for study, special services highlighting the lives of Jesus, the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph have been provided for the continued prayer life of the congregation. During the past 16 years, 300 hundred baptisms have taken place, along with 80 weddings and 324 burials, not to mention birthday, anniversary and healing prayer services.

An avid art collector, the Church, the Family Life Center, the School and the Parish Office have statuary, pictorial scenes from the Catholic Church’s history, as well as numerous relics and artifacts which grace these buildings. In addition, under his leadership two outdoor garden statues have been erected, with one on the southside of the Church exterior wall featuring the Blessed Mother cradling a young Christ Child holding a globe.

A strong supporter of the various religious organizations in the parish, he became a Fourth Degree Knight through the church’s Knights of Columbus chapter, seeks the support of the women’s Altar Society whose job includes care of the Church sanctuary, vestments (so many of which have been made by Egan’s sister, Eileen Moore of Birmingham, a retired professor of Birmingham Southern University!), Communion and candle supplies, and myriad jobs no one sees being done.  He praises the church choir for their liturgical music, and he calls the ‘Legion of Mary’ his ‘right hand’ for all the work they do by visiting the sick and bringing Communion and comfort to the homebound. Egan respects and is grateful for Fr. John O’Donnell, OSB, Associate Pastor, Reverand Edgar Estuardo del Cid Leiva, Associate Hispanic Pastor, and the church deacons. All the church organizations, and thus members of the Parish, have felt Egan’s presence and encouragement as they commit themselves to the work of Christ and His Church.

One of Egan’s biggest joys as Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus has been his interaction with Sacred Heart School. According to Principal Shawna Woodard Norman, he has been a staunch supporter of the teachers, staff and students, visiting the classrooms as many as three times a week, if not more. He has attended faculty meetings, held confessions in the school for the students and taken part in the second grade’s “Last Supper” and Thanksgiving meal presentations. Each year he brought these students over to church and explained on a very close level what ‘Baptism’ means and looks like. He takes their class mascots ‘Hermie’ and ‘Wormie’ to the Baptismal font and performs the ceremony by pouring water over the heads of the stuffed mascots. He offers weekly Mass on Wednesday for the school, and during this time he comes down to the aisle and has question and answer time with the students. In addition, there are student-inspired Stations of the Cross each Friday afternoon during Lent. He has taught history lessons for 6th grade students, and occasionally to the fifth graders.

Egan always is involved with any projects instituted by the LIHM Sisters in the school, including the annual October ‘Balloon Rosary’ honoring the Blessed Mother, the Lenten ‘Shadow Stations’ of the Cross’, their ‘All Saints’ yearly celebration, the ‘May Crowning’ of the Blessed Mother ceremony a the Sisters’ many programs  including their annual Summer Bible Camp. Last week he took part in his last ‘Graduation Ceremony’ for this year’s 6th grade students.

A ‘Farewell Celebration’ for Fr. Patrick Egan, OSB, will be held Sunday, June 1, from 2-5 p.m. in the Family Life Center of the church. The community is invited to this event.