Archbishop Dolan Succeeds Cardinal Egan

UPDATES:

Milwaukee Bishop Gets Egan's Post
New Archbishop Attends St. Patrick's Mass
Milwaukee Archbishop Chosen to Succeed Egan
Dolan to take over as archbishop of New York
Dolan will have one more Easter in Milwaukee

Statement from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee:

Pope Benedict XVI appoints Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan Archbishop of New York

The Vatican announced today that Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York. Archbishop Dolan will remain as Archbishop of Milwaukee until Wednesday, April 15, when he will be installed as Archbishop of New York during a Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.

"I am honored by this appointment," Archbishop Dolan said, "as I was honored by my appointment as Archbishop of Milwaukee. I am deeply grateful for the confidence of Pope Benedict XVI. Yet, I must admit sadness in the prospect of leaving the people of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, whom I have come to know, love and deeply appreciate. I am very much at home here. It will be tough to leave."

Archbishop Dolan was appointed Archbishop of Milwaukee on June 25, 2002, and was installed as the tenth Archbishop of Milwaukee on August 28, 2002.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan will succeed Cardinal Edward Egan, according to the Associated Press.

Rumors of the appointment have been swirling for so long. Now, it seems reality will replace the rumors.

From AP, in the New York Times:

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of Milwaukee will be appointed the next Roman Catholic archbishop of New York, The Associated Press has learned.

The Vatican is expected to announce Archbishop Dolan’s appointment Monday, according to a church official with knowledge of when Vatican appointments are announced. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the selection.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, whose gregarious pastoral style endeared him to a Catholic community in need of a morale boost, is expected to be named today archbishop of New York.

Sources with knowledge of the appointment said Sunday that Pope Benedict XVI would name the 59-year-old Dolan to succeed retiring Cardinal Edward M. Egan. Dolan will take over an archdiocese of 2.5 million Catholics in what many consider the highest-profile position in the U.S. Catholic Church. The appointment all but ensures that Dolan ultimately will be named a cardinal.

Dolan is on vacation, and archdiocese spokeswoman Julie Wolf declined to comment.

...Dolan is credited with working to heal and reinvigorate the local church, home to 682,000 Catholics. He has drawn accolades for his support of Catholic schools, priests and seminarians. Enrollment at St. Francis de Sales Seminary is at a 20-year high, which many attribute to Dolan's example and emphasis on vocations.

Church officials say he has taken steps to improve the archdiocese's financial position and address the fallout from the scandal that hastened the retirement and stained the legacy of his predecessor, Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland.

"There's a lot of gratitude for what he's done here," said Father Steven Avella, a Catholic historian and professor of history at Marquette University. "He's a personable and decent man who listened and tried his best to lead the archdiocese through some very difficult times."

...Dolan leaves at a difficult time for the archdiocese. It is just halfway through the capital campaign, and there is concern that giving could trail off if the economy doesn't pick up. And although money from the campaign is not going to pay off abuse settlements, the archdiocese is bracing itself for possible bankruptcy if it loses a series of civil fraud cases brought by sex abuse victims that are expected to go to trial this summer.

I really hate to see Archbishop Dolan go. This upheaval comes at a terrible time for the archdiocese.

More sex abuse scandal fall-out coming this summer?

Bankruptcy on the horizon?

Now is not the time for a new archbishop to step in. The thought is really unsettling. There's so much turmoil ahead. I found Dolan to be very reassuring and comforting. He did provide a badly needed morale boost after the Rembert Weakland mess.

Dolan was the right man. He held the archdiocese together during a very traumatic period.

But now the steady foundation Dolan provided is being ripped out from under the Catholics of Southeastern Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Archdiocese is left on shaky ground, with a lot of uncertainty looming.

I still have not gotten over the Weakland thing.

Dolan was in Milwaukee for less than seven short years. His position in the Milwaukee Archdiocese seems like it was just a stepping stone. So it's off to New York, to bigger and better things. This is quite a promotion for Dolan and one he truly deserves. I understand why Pope Benedict chose him to become the archbishop of New York. I'm sure he'll do tremendously well and I wish him the best.

As for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, I guess it's better to have had Dolan at the helm briefly than not at all.

The fact that I am so concerned about Archbishop Dolan leaving Milwaukee speaks to my great admiration for him and what he has accomplished in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Quite simply, he's irreplaceable.

I had the honor of meeting Archbishop Dolan. It was at a time of great challenge and suffering for me. I consider myself blessed to have had him touch my life personally and I will miss him more than I can say.