02.23.2009 7:31 am
Dolan named New York archbishop
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Archbishop Timothy Dolan
Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan was named archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI Monday.
Dolan, the 59-year-old St. Louis native, has been rumored to be Benedict’s pick to head the most prominent diocese in the U.S. for months.
“My brother bishops, priests, religious women and men, seminarians, committed Catholics of this wonderful Church,” Dolan said in a statement, “I pledge to you my love, my life, my heart, and I can tell you already that I love you, I need so much your prayers and support, I am so honored, humbled, and happy to serve as your pastor.”
The St. Louis Archdiocese’s interim leader, Bishop Robert Hermann, said Dolan “has been a stellar priest…”
Tim Townsend has been the religion reporter at the Post-Dispatch since June 2004. He previously covered personal finance and consumer news for The Wall Street Journal. He holds master's degrees from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Yale Divinity School. In 2005 he won the Templeton Religion Reporter of the Year Award, given by the Religion Newswriters Association. 
I would just once like to see the Vatican appoint an archbishop from right here in the St. Louis archdiocese. We have lost so many priest and local bishops who are native of St. Louis to replace other dioceses in the United States. Meanwhile, New York, the last I knew, still has an active Cardinal who is going to retire shortly. St. Louis, on the other hand has been without an archbishop, since the summer of 2008. Who else, would be more familiar with our own needs and knowledge of history about our local churches and the positive spiritual direction that our seminary is experiencing at this very moment. Somebody, needs to wake up at the Vatican and make this known to the Holy Father,who makes appointments based on recommendations from his staff. Politics as usual! or, are we not that significant any longer?