Archbishop Dolan’s St. Louis roots run deep
Archbishop Timothy Dolan, courtesy of beliefnet
The National Catholic Reporter quotes Fr. David O’Connell, president of the Catholic University of America, as saying about Archbishop Timothy Dolan: “If the part of archbishop of New York could ever be scripted…Dolan would really be cast in that role.” Having lived in New York, and knowing Archbishop Dolan a little myself, I see what he means: such an outgoing, larger-than-life character definitely has what it takes to shine on the outsized stage of the Big Apple. As they say, if he can make it there, he can make it anywhere, and I’m sure he will do just fine.
But we don’t need to forget that Archbishop Timothy Dolan is a true native son of St. Louis. Born and raised here, he was also ordained here, spent several years in parish ministry here (starting at Immacolata Parish), and has served as vice rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, as well as adjunct professor at St. Louis University. All that before being named auxiliary bishop of St. Louis by Pope John Paul II back in 2001.
When I first moved to St. Louis, I found it a little hard to get to know people. Everyone’s nice enough, but there’s also a sense that everyone has more family here than they know what to do with, plus all those friends from high school (you know what I mean!), and it’s hard to know where a new person would fit into the already-crowded social scene.
So it mitigated my sense of being a complete outsider whenever someone would hear my name and ask, “Dolan? Are you related to the archbishop by any chance?” And I could answer that yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Timothy Dolan is my husband’s first cousin. They grew up together and I’ve had several opportunities to meet him. And always my response has been followed with a delighted “Really!” and a warm, usually funny story about how the other person knows Tim.
So here’s my story about him. The first time I came to St. Louis to meet my then-boyfriend’s family, we had a family Christmas party at McGurk’s (which probably tells you everything you need to know about my husband’s family, in a good way). It was a little overwhelming, trying to keep all these charming Irish people straight, but it wasn’t at all hard to sort out Tim from the rest of the pack. For one thing, he is bigger, and louder, than almost anyone I know (with the exception of my own father).
When we were introduced someone mentioned that I was studying at Harvard Divinity School and he started grilling me right away, but with the merriest of twinkles in his eye. Within moments he had announced loudly, “Aw, she already knows more theology than I do!” He was being ridiculous, of course, and we were both in on the joke. But it was a moment that was pure Tim: kind and compassionate and self-effacing, and done in such an effortless style that he almost seems to be acting with an eye to “plausible deniability” of his own goodness.
The Archbishop is also a consummate host, and many of the stories I hear about him from people here in St. Louis have to do with their visits to him, when he was serving in Washington, D.C., or Rome, or most recently Milwaukee. People always speak of how they feel so personally cared for by him, as if while they are his guests they are VIP’s in their own right. My husband and I visited him in Rome also and experienced that gift for hospitality firsthand, and more than a decade later that trip still shines in our memories.
I have also heard him speak passionately about vocation, and I’m sure he will continue his efforts to elevate the priesthood, in the best sense of that phrase. And I love what the National Catholic Reporter story says about him:
In some ways, observers say that Dolan could be seen as a throwback to the best of pre-Vatican II American Catholicism: rock-solid in his orthodoxy, unapologetic about his loyalty to the papacy and to Rome, yet quintessentially American in his optimism, his practicality and lively sense of humor, with a clear priority on fostering good priests and good parishes.
So now Tim–Archbishop Dolan–is being called to New York. People in this town will have even more reason to be proud of him. I hope they will pray for him, too. I don’t envy anyone who has such a large and public role in the Church these days. But it is a thrill to know, even a little, the man who is now in one of the most prominent positions in American Catholicism. And a delight to feel that his flock is in such good hands.
Pamela Dolan is on staff at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves and is a Candidate for Holy Orders. After high school in Hawaii and college in California, she earned a master's degree in theology from Harvard before spending several years in New York studying medieval religion and literature. Pamela is married with two children. 
A wonderful story, and well told. Thank you, Pamela.
If the best of pre-Vatican II American Catholicism was, in part, rock-solid orthodoxy and unapologetic loyalty to the papacy and to Rome - with all of its requisite indoctrination of youth and glorification of the clergy as evidenced above - how much better is it now that conscience - personal relationships with God - has been stressed?
congratulations archbishop dolan i was very happy to hear the great news. my father elmer yeager once said that tim one day will be very high up in the catholic church. boy was he right on.I Remember the 50/50 club. I am sure tim does also maybe tim could start one for future preist. all prays are with you
davel, I’m not sure I can agree with the connections you’re drawing between orthodoxy and “indoctrination of youth and glorification of the clergy.” I don’t think orthodoxy has ever excluded the importance of conscience or a personal relationship with God. And while my phrase “elevation of the priesthood” may have been a poor choice of words, I don’t think that “the best of pre-Vatican II American Catholicism” was ever about the glorification of the clergy, exactly.
There is simply no denying that the priesthood in the Roman Catholic church has suffered some serious blows in the last few decades. The reasons for that are more varied and complex than are sometimes intimated in the media (clergy in many denominations will attest that theirs is a “high stress, low status” calling in today’s world). Regardless, if the American church is to move forward into a new century it will need a revitalized priesthood and it could do worse than to have Dolan on board in this position.
My own experience of the Archbishop is that he exhibits an almost palpable love of being a priest; while I can’t speak for him, I suspect it has nothing to do with “glorification” and everything to do with the satisfaction of serving God and following His will.
Pamela,
Because the Catholic religion is also a government, my concern with
“rock-solid orthodoxy and unapologetic loyalty to the papacy and to Rome” is how it may conflict with conscience and religious liberty as presented in the Vatican II Declaration on Religious Liberty:
http://www.consciencelaws.org/Examining-Conscience-Ethical/Ethical45.html
Conscience as a natural right is a revolutionary notion for the Catholic Church:
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0505798.htm
What is the preeminent desire of the Catholic laity and priesthood, to be taught or to be dictated to? Sadly, “rock-solid orthodoxy and unapologetic loyalty to the papacy and to Rome” suggests the latter.
Davel,
… Or maybe he just agrees with the Church. If you agree with the Church, you really aren’t being “dictated to,” are you? Must “conscience” always denote disagreement with authority?
Steve,
I think of conscience as one’s personal relationship with God that includes endeavors like love, hope and faith. Certainly, conscience can be influenced, indeed will be influenced by others, including organized religion. However, conscience does not exist because of organized religion. It is the other way around. Consequently, conscience is preeminent. Anything is possible but for conscience to agree with the Church, it seems to me, it would have to be formed entirely by the Church and that seems to be a very remote possibility. There is the problem of incidents. The opportunity to apply conscience for an individual depends on what happens before him/her, which is different from the opportunities available to the Church as a whole. An individual is more likely to compromise with authority than agree with it. Who is the master? The individual or the Church?
I’m sort of agreeing with davel here. I am very leery of those priests wishing to drag us back kicking and screaming into the dark ages of pre-Vatican II.
However, I do agree with Kurt that this is a very well written article Pamela. Once I read it I somehow get the feeling that Archbishop Dolan is not your “typical” ultraconservative pre-Vatican II priest.
Davel,
“Anything is possible but for conscience to agree with the Church, it seems to me, it would have to be formed entirely by the Church”
I presume your conscience makes you opposed to racism. Would that be accurate? I also presume, based on several of your posts, that you don’t see your conscience as being formed by the Church. But your conscience in this case agrees with the Church. How is that possible if it wasn’t entirely (if even at all) formed by it?
My point is this: Consciences are “formed” by all sorts of outside influences. Consciences can be well-formed or not well-formed. But I get the impression that you are suggesting that the Church isn’t really capable of helping form good consciences simply because it is “authority,” and I would disagree with that assertion.
Even an orthodox Catholic like myself knows that I have both religious liberty and freedom to have a poorly-formed conscience. The potential consequences of both are broken communion with the Church (MY action), but I certainly have the freedom to distance myself from the Church. Where’s the tyranny of the authority there?
Steve,
Conscience to me is equivalent to my personal relationship with God. I accept input from God fearing people, including people who are in positions of authority in organized religion but my model for having a relationship with God is not organized religion but Jesus the Christ. Unlike the Church, I cannot separate myself from the God who created me but He can certainly leave me – my fear. I submit to you that if you follow Christ you will have a well formed conscience and I doubt you will distance yourself from the Church.
I married into the Roman Catholic church at the time of Vatican II because I love my wife and because the new emphasis on conscience made it look like Protestants and Catholics could at last feel equal. Four kids and ten grandkids later, I want the Church to be more inclusive and I fear this emphasis on pre-Vatican II stuff will make it less so. I am not a Roman Catholic.
I am from Olean, New York, next to St. Bonaventure University. I have been to church with Catholics in that area and they appear to have well formed consciences. Could that be why the freshmen on the Bonnies basketball team beat SLU this week?