TimothyCardinal Dolan presided over his final Midnight Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Christmas Eve, a joyful service held as he prepares to end his 16-year run as the head of the Archdiocese of New York.
The 75-year-old beloved faith leader, who has served some 2.8 million Roman Catholics across Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island since 2009, led mass for the nearly 2,400 churchgoers who packed the iconic Fifth Avenue cathedral ahead of his retirement.
“I love Cardinal Dolan,” said Elvira Molinari, who was among thousands vying to secure a ticket to the service after entering the church’s high-demand lottery back in June.
“He’s the wonderful shepherd of this huge flock in the metropolitan New York area,” she told The Post. “And he’s real. He’s a real person, and he’s humorous. I’ve met him at a few functions…he’s so very welcoming to everyone.”
Another attendee flew in from Monaghan, Ireland, to New York just to witness Dolan’s final Christmas Eve mass.
“I’ve been here for five Christmases, and this is a very important night for me, because it’ll be Cardinal Dolan’s last Christmas Eve mass,” Francis Meehan said. “Tonight is so special, because Cardinal Dolan was cardinal here for 17 years. And I am a great admirer.”
Dolan is especially cherished by Irish Catholics — with one at the mass going so far as to call him her personal “pope.”
“Cardinal Dolan is an inspiration for every Irish New York Catholic. He has a deeper meaning for us because he’s part of us. Do you know what I mean?” said Paddy Locke, who moved from Ireland to New York. “He’s going to be definitely missed because he’s done so much for everyone out here, especially the Irish community.”
Locke said Dolan even visited her hometown in County Kerry to do a mass there.
“He’s a special, special man,” she told The Post. “He’s not only my archbishop, but he’s like my pope.”
John Dragowich, a fan of the cherished cleric’s radio show, “Conversation with Cardinal Dolan,” on Sirius XM’s The Catholic Channel, praised the prelate for his down-to-earth nature.
“He can relate to different types of people,” the 66-year-old said.
“I could relate to him. He’s like a guy that slaps you on the back. I want to say a man’s man, but he speaks like one of the guys.”
Outgoing Mayor Eric Adams also attended the festive service.
Dolan will be succeeded by Bishop Ronald Hicks, a little-known Illinois cleric who has led the Diocese of Joliet since 2020 and was handpicked by Pope Leo XIV to replace the powerful Catholic leader.
The move comes after Dolan reached the Vatican’s mandatory retirement age of 75 in February.
Hicks will be installed in his new role on Feb. 6.
Dolan, who headed the Diocese of Milwaukee before moving to New York, arrived in 2009, after Pope Benedict XVI picked him to replace 77-year-old Edward Cardinal Egan upon his retirement — the first time outgoing and incoming cardinals had met in person in the history of the archdiocese.
Three years later, Benedict elevated the St. Louis, Mo., native from archbishop to cardinal, making him eligible to vote in the papal conclaves that named Pope Francis and Pope Leo. Dolan was even rumored as a dark horse candidate for the top seat at the Vatican after Pope Francis died.
In New York, Dolan has been a fixture, hosting the popular annual “blessing of the animals” event at Radio City Music Hall and more recently speaking up for immigrant rights amid an uptick in ICE raids.
He was an advocate for center-right Catholics, fighting against abortion rights and same-sex marriage, and scuffled with the Obama administration over calls to provide contraception to religious groups.
Dolan has embraced the limelight throughout his nearly two-decade tenure as the head of the archdiocese, leaving behind a legacy of compassion and firm resolve to defend the teachings of the Catholic Church, friends and colleagues said.
“He’s the ultimate happy warrior of the Catholic Church,” Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, previously told The Post.
“He’s a legend. What you see is what you get with Cardinal Dolan.”
Poust added that Dolan “had a list of people he was praying for at all time.”
“What you see of him on TV is the same person behind closed doors,” Poust said.
“He was a joyful midwestern guy who embraced New York.”
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