North Jersey Catholics welcome Dolan's elevation

 Cardinal Timothy Dolan was a hit in Rome and around the world as he was elevated to cardinal, and Catholics in North Jersey said Dolan’s popularity is good news for their church.

 AP

  Newly-elected Cardinal, Archbishop of New York Timothy Michael Dolan, right, walks in procession next to newly-elected Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, of Germany before a Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican a day after installing them as cardinals, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012. 

“I think he’s wonderful,” said the Rev. Richard Supple, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Bogota, as he greeted parishioners after leading the noon Mass on Sunday. “He comes across as someone you can just walk up to and talk to.” The appointment of Dolan as cardinal “is seen as a very positive thing” for Catholics, “so everyone is very happy.”
“I think he’s a good representative for the church,” said Patricia Rodriguez, director of faith formation, which oversees the religious education program at St. Joseph’s. “He’s authentic and I think that we need that.” In the basement of St. Joseph’s elementary school, where parishioners gathered after Mass for coffee, and to buy tea, coffee, chocolate and other products sold by the church to support Fair Trade cooperatives for Third World farmers, the reaction to Dolan was unanimously favorable.
“It’s a good day for the Irish,” said Michael Cullen, president of the Holy Name Society, a Catholic men’s service organization, at St. Joseph’s.
Joe Richardson, who was serving coffee and selling Fair Trade products, echoed the comments of Vatican experts this weekend that Dolan’s greatest strength is as a communicator. “He’s extremely personable and outgoing,” Richardson said. “He’s doing a good job presenting the bishops’ point of view in a way that people can hear it.”
Dolan was chosen to address Pope Benedict XVI and the College of Cardinals on Friday on the subject of evangelism, and one of the points in his speech was that the clergy need to do a better job of spreading the Catholic message. Dolan’s folksy style and jokes during his trip to Vatican City for the elevation ceremony won him lots of positive publicity in media outlets in New York City and around the world. That publicity has fueled speculation that Dolan could be on the fast track to be the first American pope.
At the Most Blessed Sacrament church in Franklin Lakes, parishioners said they would love to see that happen.
“I hope one day he can become pope,” said Linda Frignoca, of North Haledon, who has been following Dolan’s career. “I think it’s wonderful we have someone in our area who rose to that level,” she said.
Robert FitzPatrick of Franklin Lakes agreed. “I think it’s very exciting for the New York metropolitan area to have a cardinal who could become a pope in 10 years,” he said. FitzPatrick also liked Dolan’s common touch, noting that Dolan comes across as a regular guy who isn’t afraid to admit he enjoys a cold beer on occasion. Dolan was quoted after the elevation ceremony as saying the first thing he planned to do was have a sandwich and a cold beer. “He’s a very personable guy,” FitzPatrick said.



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