An open and energetic character

by Giovanni Cubeddu

Born in 1950, seminarian in Saint Louis and then at the Pontifical North American College, Dolan was ordained priest in 1976 and until 1979 was vice-pastor in Richmond Heights (Missouri), when he began his studies for the doctorate in the History of the American Church. In 1983 he was again pastor in Saint Louis then (1987-1992) secretary in the nunciature in Washington. He returned as vice-rector of the seminary in Saint Louis, and in 1994 was rector of the Pontifical North-American College (PNAC) in Rome, for seven years. There were 122 students in the seminary when Dolan began, and 175 when he left in 2001. During the long years of Roman life Dolan also taught Church History at the Pontifical Gregorian University and was professor in the Department of Ecumenical Theology at the Saint Thomas Aquinas Pontifical University. In June 2001 he became auxiliary bishop in Saint Louis. The following year Pope John Paul II named him Archbishop of Milwaukee, where he remained for seven years,until 23 February 2009, when he was chosen by Pope Benedict XVI to lead the diocese of New York.On 29 June he received the pallium from the Pope in Rome.