Bishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee will be installed today as the 10th archbishop of New York — making him the most prominent leader of America’s 75 million Roman Catholics.
Meanwhile, his predecessor steps down for a well-deserved retirement.
It’s no stretch to say that whatever success Dolan enjoys as archbishop will be built on the foundation laid by Edward Cardinal Egan, who’s served since 2000.
DOLAN IS WELCOMED AS NEW ARCHBISHOP
Ordained a priest in Chicago in 1957, Egan first came to New York as an auxiliary bishop in 1985 before taking over the diocese of Bridgeport, Conn., in 1988.
As archbishop, Egan may have lacked the star power that Dolan is expected to bring to the job, or the stately presence of John Cardinal O’Connor, but his wise leadership came exactly as his 2.5 million-member flock needed it most.
A big part of his success was financial. Egan turned the archdiocese’s $20 million annual deficit into an operating surplus — mainly by consolidating parishes with dwindling membership.
Shuttering churches isn’t a pleasant duty, but Egan saw to it with deftness and pastoral care. Plus, by balancing the books, he gave the archdiocese the resources it needs for any future growth.
He can also take credit, in large part, for the smashing success of Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to New York last April.
Egan plans to serve out his retirement in Manhattan.
We wish him the very best, as do all New Yorkers of good will.