Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a tireless advocate of religious liberty, Catholic education, the unborn and the poor, has become the steady and strong yet ever-beaming face of the American church — despite some very tumultuous times.

He fearlessly speaks the truth in an appealing way, often punctuated with a guffaw; if you’ve ever met him, you never forget it.

He will remember your name in a crowd of thousands and pull you in close to talk, oblivious as the crowd waiting to speak to him swells.

Take it from someone who knows.

His successor, Bishop Ronald Hicks, inherits not just a massive and extraordinarily diverse diocese in every sense of the word, but the legacy of the man who has been running it.

Perhaps the new archbishop’s first challenge will be how to honor the beloved........

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