On the menu: tasty ribs from the famous Milwaukee’s Speed Queen barbecue restaurant, Elsa’s fiery buffalo wings and beef tenderloin straight off the grill. It was topped off with collard greens and coleslaw.
Seated around the dinner table all those years ago were 30 prominent African-American Catholics from Milwaukee sharing a dinner with their Archbishop, a gregarious and hungry fellow by the name of Timothy Dolan.
“That man loves to eat,” recalled Gerard Randle, a consultant from Brew City, who hosted the dinner. Shortly before that meal, Dolan had recently been installed as Milwaukee’s 10th Archbishop. When he met Dolan shortly after that honor, Randle had no idea the Archbishop would take him up on his offer to host him at his home. But Dolan came.
“He walked around and just talked with people,” said Randle. “It was almost as if he had known everyone in the room for quite sometime.”
Today, Randle found himself in the Big Apple, bearing witness to the installation of Dolan as the new Archbishop for New York’s 2.5 million Catholics.
“I had to be here to support the man who restored confidence amongst the Catholic Church in Milwaukee again,” Randle said. “And he made people, including me, feel more proud to be Catholic.”
Known for his charm, wit and ability to adapt to any situation, Dolan made a name for himself in Milwaukee. It wasn’t odd to catch the oldest of five siblings at a Brewers game or even talking about sports during his homilies.
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“His genuine pastoral care for individuals in the archdiocese is what set him apart,” said Randle.
It was Dolan's laidback demeanor and candor that would allow him to raise more than $100 million for the Milwaukee Archdiocese -- the highest fundraising amount ever collected in the Brew City’s history to help deal with the financial shortfalls within the church.
Archbishop Dolan also gained popularity for saving a number of Catholic schools that were on the chopping block, even expanding some of the schools for students.
“That was one of accomplishments that restored people’s faith in the Catholic Church,” said Randle.
Father John, who served as pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish in Milwaukee, talked to us about Dolan while on his way to Rome and Assisi to celebrate the 800th anniversary of St. Francis.
“While the Archbishop faced a tremendous number of pastoral, administrative and financial challenges and even crisis,” said Father John. “He always made time to personally minister to people.”
Father John, along with many other Milwaukeeans, said Dolan was known to reach out to ordinary people from all walks of life.
“I twice saw him stop in at our meal program, slip on an apron over his cassock and serve the homeless men, women and kids with a smile and a word of hope,” said Father John.
Archbishop Dolan, however, found no shortage of critics who attacked his response to clergy abuse in the church his strict adherence to the church’s conservative views on abortion and gay marriage.
“I think he could have done more in attempting to expose pedophile clergy in the religious orders that serve the Milwaukee Archdiocese,” said Nancy Meows of the Voice of the Faithful; an organization that supports victims of abuse in the church, priest of integrity and change within the church.
“Like most bishops, he’s a my way or the highway type of guy,” said Meows.
That’s a hard sell to the thousands of supporters in Milwaukee who respect and admire the Catholic leader.
“I am sure that Archbishop Dolan will bring his same spirit of service, energy, love for Christ and the Church, and his sense of humor and warm personal touch to his new ministry in New York,” said Father John.
Barbara White, a local newspaper columnist who has also followed the Archbishop since his arrival in Milwaukee believes New York has gained the best of the best.
“In Milwaukee, he reached out across the board to all races and religions,” said White. “He’s not afraid to live his conviction when it comes to doing the right thing and he continues to challenge the people around him to live a better life by serving their community."
