NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who will retire as archbishop of New York in February, sat down with 1010 WINS to reflect on his 16 years in the influential role.
Speaking from his residence at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Monday, Dolan, 75, told reporter Glenn Schuck that some of his concerns are declining enrollment at Catholic schools and a shortage of priests.
"He's going to have the same challenge that every bishop and priest does, namely these are tough days for the Church," Dolan said of Bishop Ronald Hicks, who will succeed him come Feb. 6.
Asked what some of his saddest and hardest moments were during his time as archbishop, he cited Superstorm Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We still had Mass, but to see that empty church, I thought my Lord how different, how shaky, how startling this is,” he said of the coronavirus' impact.
There are also the many funerals he attended. “I remember murders of cops and the deaths in the line of duty of our firemen,” he said.
Dolan, known for his joking and jovial demeanor, got very serious when he discussed the sexual abuse lawsuits that the church has grappled with.
"[Hicks] is going to face, as well, the initiative that we just announced a couple weeks ago—that the archdiocese is very serious about setting on the table a significant amount of money that we now have from the sale of property for final, at last, some type of sense of revolution to our victim survivors of sexual abuse,” Dolan said.
Despite the many serious moments of his tenure, Dolan is known for finding the bright spots in life.
"There are moments of sadness,” he quipped. “For instance, I remember once after a long day I walked in here and I went to the refrigerator to get a beer, and all there was was light beer, and that really ticked me off. That was a bad, somber day.”
Dolan, who grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis, said he’s a New Yorker now.
“In my 75 years, the only place I've lived longer than New York is in Ballwin, Missouri, until I was 18 with my mom and dad and family,” he said. “I've lived in New York for 17 years. It is my home. I love the people. I love you. I love this city. You're stuck with me.”
The cardinal said he's making plans for a book, and possibly a documentary, along with some travel.