Some professors invite students over for dinner. Others organize field trips and coffee chats. Still others, like Boston College Professor Emeritus Rev. Harvey Egan, S.J., go much further.

“When [your students] get married, they ask you to do the wedding,” Egan said. “So you do the weddings. When they have children, you baptize their children. Sometimes you do the funerals for their parents.”

Egan, 88, has been building these kinds of meaningful relationships since he joined the Jesuits 65 years ago. But finding his way there took time, and he didn’t originally plan to take that path.

Egan was originally studying to become an electrical engineer. During his senior year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, however, he began to take his faith more seriously.

“I began to go to Mass almost every day,” Egan said.

After graduating, Egan took a job at Boeing as an electrical engineer, but he quickly realized he couldn’t ignore his true calling. 

“After about three months, I said, ‘No, I’ll bite the bullet,’” Egan said. “So I joined the Jesuits in 1960.” 

From there, Egan began to explore theology and Christian mysticism under well respected theologians, including Karl Rahner, who is widely regarded as one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century. 

Rahner proved a large part of Egan’s Jesuit education. Under Rahner’s guidance, Egan wrote his first book, The Spiritual Exercises and the Ignatian Mystical Horizon. 

A large part of what Egan took away from his time under Rahner was the importance of building relationships. He has been able to do so—even in the most unlikely places. One such location: the Margot O’Connell Recreation Center pool, where even as he approaches 90, he swims almost every day. 

“I swim almost daily,” Egan said. “Whenever it’s open, I’m down there. And I’ve gotten to know, over the years, many of the lifeguards, and I always joke with them.”

Egan has always known how best to lighten up a conversation through humor, according to fellow Jesuit Rev. Claude Pavur, S.J.

“There is a phrase I had for him, it’s a Latin phrase, Puera eternus,” Pavur said. “It means ‘eternal boy’—ever young, and there’s a youthfulness to him.”

This sense of humor, combined with Egan’s generosity, has made him a sought-after resource for Jesuits from across the world studying at BC.

“We get Jesuits from all around the world studying here,” Pavur said. “For many of them, English is their third or fourth language, so it’s going to be a little rough when they write papers. He was very generous in helping people from abroad.”

Egan found similar popularity among BC students, according to retired BC film professor and Rev. Richard Blake, S.J.

“I believe he was quite popular and respected,” Blake said. “People took his classes eagerly and willingly.” 

And students weren’t just taking Egan’s courses for an easy A, Blake added.

“He did have a reputation for being strict,” Blake said. 

As a fellow professor, Blake believes this is a policy that works, especially for Egan. 

“People respect his work and know that they’re expected to live up to some standards,” Blake said. “I think that’s a good mark for a teacher.”

Egan is also a prolific writer, having written and published 19 books on a variety of theological subjects. He sees his writing as a spiritual pursuit—one that doesn’t come without challenge. 

“​​I would see spiritual writing, my theological writing, as an adventure in the spiritual life,” Egan said. “It’s very rewarding. It’s also very painful.” 

Egan said he struggled to strike a balance between what his audiences are looking for and what he feels confident writing about. 

“I had, on my desk, a sign that said, ‘I would rather die for Christ than write for Christ,’” Egan said. “You turn in your manuscript, and they turn it down.”

Outside of authoring his own books, Egan has also played a large role in the works of author David Ansgar Nyber— so large a role that the main character of Nyberg’s book series Mighty Monk Mysteries, Father Ignatius Lacrois, is based off of him. 

When the two first connected, Nyberg was serving a 43-year prison sentence. Nyberg was interested in learning about mystical theology, so he asked his lawyer to contact experts in the field.

“He sent out a notice which came from the theology department here at BC,” Egan said. “I said, ‘Yeah, that’s something I’d like to do.’”

Egan would then become a spiritual instructor to Nyberg, sending him books and writings while he was in prison. 

“I’m very happy that I was able to brighten and deepen his faith at very dark moments in his life,” Egan said. “Imagine 43 years of prison.”

Their written correspondence wasn’t one-sided, either. 

“He would write to me, and he would send me these manuscripts, which I would slightly edit, because he’s an excellent writer,” Egan said. “So I would slightly edit them, make a few suggestions.” 

But it wasn’t until later—while was helping Nyberg publish his manuscripts online—that Egan realized he was the main character of the series. In fact, he was also its namesake. 

“I signed my emails—it says ‘a mighty monk,’” Egan said. “So the moniker has caught on, and it caught on with Ansgar. So that’s how I became ‘mighty monk.’”

The nickname brings together three generations of mentorship, as it was one of Egan’s college mentors that originally coined it. 

“He said, ‘What are you doing with your life after Worcester Poly Tech?’” Egan said. “And I said, ‘I’m thinking of becoming a Jesuit.’ ‘Oh, a Jesuit.’ He says, ‘Oh, I’m going to call you mighty monk.’” 

For Egan, the power to make a lasting impact on students has been one of the most meaningful aspects of his life as a Jesuit.

“As a Jesuit priest, you not only teach them, but often you establish relationships,” Egan said.