That is an excerpt from a handwritten letter from my great grand-uncle, Father Jack Egan, to his brother and sister-in-law, my great grandparents. It is dated September 1935, but I feel as if I could be writing those same words to my family today after the past week. Several days ago, my wife Megan and I arrived in Mauritius after a lengthy travel itinerary originating in Colorado, involving stops in New Jersey and Paris, and terminating on this small island in the Indian Ocean. It has been a tiring week, but we are grateful to have arrived at our destination safely. I am grateful beyond measure to all at North Colorado Family Medicine, my family, and everyone here in Mauritius who has made this trip possible.
When informing querying parties of my summer plans to travel to Mauritius over the past few months, I was frequently met with looks of bemusement and the common question, "Why Mauritius?" These unfortunate individuals were then met with a long, detailed explanation that involved an account of my genealogy, tales from a newlywed year spent in Ireland, and finally, the explanation that my great grand-uncle, the aforementioned Father Egan, was a priest who lived in Mauritius for approximately 30 years of his life. He died here about 50 years ago, and he is buried at the parish church of St. Julien in eastern Mauritius. Ever since I heard about Uncle Jack as a young boy from my grandmother, his tale captivated me. He seemed to be a man of great principle and devotion who was willing to move far from his home in pursuit of a greater, higher cause. He was born in rural Ireland in the early years of the 20th century. Later in life, he entered the seminary in Paris and was eventually ordained as a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, a Roman Catholic order of priests. Shortly after his ordination, he was sent to preach and serve the people of Mauritius, where he would spend the rest of his days as a true man of the people. My mother recalls meeting him several times when she was a young girl and he came to visit New York, and her vague memories endorse the image of the gregarious, spirited, humble man I have encountered in the letters, documents, and stories I have gathered over the years pertaining to his character.
I must, unfortunately, bring this post to a premature close, as the hour is growing late and I am to arise early to attend surgical cases tomorrow morning. I find my time limited these past few days, as if I have "not had time to sit down." I will end with a brief description of the past few days and what I hope to accomplish over the next several weeks. I have now spent several days working at the Clinique du Bon Pasteur, a private clinic in Rose Hill, Mauritius, where I will be completing my international clinic elective. In the few short days since I started, I have worked in the emergency department, operating theater, and with the community outreach team. I have already encountered skilled physicians who very graciously have taken the time to teach and mentor me. Over the next few weeks, I hope to explore this faraway island and learn about the practice of medicine here. I hope to learn a great deal from the physicians with whom I am working and the patients who come to the clinic seeking care. And of course, I am hoping to better understand my uncle, Father Jack Egan, to hear stories of his life from those who might have known him, and to behold the grace and resilience that enabled him to leave his home in order to serve where he was needed.
A bientôt,
Tom
Below, some photos from what Megan and I have been up to over the past week. In order:
Beautiful church on the water where we attended Mass last weekend
Église de St. Augustin, one of the church construction projects Uncle Jack was involved in on the island
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