An American Cardinal: The Biography of Cardinal Timothy Dolan

by Christina Boyle

The most powerful Roman Catholic leader in the United States had humble beginnings. Timothy Michael Dolan was born in Maplewood, Missouri in 1950. From an early age, those around him knew that he would become a priest. Through college and seminary, his power and spirituality grew. He was formally ordained in 1976. In 2009, he was made Archbishop of New York. Several months later he was elevated to cardinal. There were clear signs that the ailing Pope Benedict XVI saw him as a bright hope for the future. During the 2013 conclave, Vatican experts seriously wondered if he would be chosen to lead the Catholics of the world. The cardinal's rise is not, however, without its controversies. He was one of the Catholic leaders who dealt, harshly say some, with abusers and the abused in the church's sex scandal. He is a consummate player who doesn't shy away from picking a political battle. Christina Boyle's An American Cardinal is a book about power and the Roman Catholic church today framed by the life of a man who might someday become the first American pope.

Genres: Biography, Religion, Catholic, Nonfiction, Book Club

302 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 4, 2014

Reviews

[Jim Gallen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a biography of Timothy Cardinal Dolan from his youth in suburban St. Louis to his return from the 2013 Papal Conclave from which some looked for Dolan to emerge as Pontiff. It is an upbeat tome full of anecdotes, personal insights, wit and views into the clerical world from seminary to conclave. Cardinal Dolan is presented as personable and accomplished churchman from his days at Prep South High School and Cardinal Glennon College in St. Louis, through the North American College in Rome, auxiliary bishop of St. Louis, Archbishop of Milwaukee to Cardinal-Archbishop of New York. Although challenges Dolan faced are examined and some criticisms are recognized, this is definitely a friendly biography. Readers looking for a critical tome must look elsewhere. Those seeking a good-natured biography of an extraordinary priest will find it here.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to learn about Cardinal Dolan by watching mass live-streamed from St. Patrick's Cathedral; I then discovered his show on Sirius-XM and found myself an admirer of his Chesterton and C. S. Lewis-like ability to distill complex issues and remind people of what's important. This is a terrific biography of a man whose humility, perseverance, common sense, big-heartedness, and intelligence make him a role model. The book makes you appreciate Dolan as a Happy Warrior of the church and also conveys what it's like to have a vocation. There are also interesting glimpses of how popes are selected. Highly recommended.

[Linda Hotchkiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

A freshman and a wonderful read

This was such a good book. You learn how Cardinal Dolan grew for and how he chose the path he took in life. I laughed several times and felt his pain in others. Highly this book

[Heather Barreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book.. I love Cardinal Dolan. I wanted to learn more about him and his journey. This was such a great book

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a convert to Catholicism, this book was an enlightening read into the inner workings of the Church and a delight to read about a priest who the New York Daily News calls a cheerful warrior of the faith. I first became aware of Cardinal Dolan when he appeared on a segment of the TV show 60 minutes, and was immediately taken by his positive and jovial personality. In this biography of his life we learn of his devotion even at a young age. At home Dolan made a personal altar in his living room and handed out Communion to his little brothers and sisters of Welch’s grape juice and torn off pieces of Wonder bread. The author follows his religious training from his youth in St. Louis, to Rome, to his assignments in the United States. We learn of his philosophy of teaching in making the Catholic message relevant to everyday life and of his accessible demeanor in dealing with parish issues and also controversial problems within the Church.

In the preface, Boyle writes of the Cardinal’s love of baseball: “On a table near his front door lay three red hats—his 3-pointed cardinal’s biretta, a New York Yankee cap, and his childhood team’s St. Louis Cardinal’s cap. In his living room is a baseball signed by St. Louis great Stan Musial, inscribed: “One Cardinal to Another.” As a baseball fan myself, that made me like him even more.
It is a blessing to read about a man who has dedicated his life to God and who has inspired and been a friend to so many.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a protestant, I'm not all that familiar with the hierarchy and leadership of the American Catholic Church. I didn't even know who Timothy Dolan was. But as the American Catholic with the best chance of ascending to the Papacy someday, I jumped at the chance to read this biography when I was selected for a Goodreads Giveaway.

It was an easy read and I was rewarded with a good picture of the Archbishop of New York, especially the events in his early life that shaped who he is today. By all accounts, he's an amazing individual. However, at times it felt like a one-sidedly positive account of the Cardinal's life and it assumed that one already had a good working knowledge of Catholic church governance and liturgy.

With those faults aside, I enjoyed learning more about Cardinal Dolan and it will be interesting to see if he becomes a leading candidate for the Papacy.

[CW Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the privilege of knowing Cardinal Dolan personally. He was a professor of mine during my time at Saint Louis University, teaching a class in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. It was a remarkable class, taught by a priest whose joy and love of the Church were clearly manifest.

This biography does a great job of introducing the Cardinal to those who know him and those who do not. He is a serious man, a thinker, an historian, and a true son of the Church, who does not look for fights, but does not shy away from them either. His hallmark is his ability to bring people together through his own kindness and pastoral zeal. It's a well-written and well-researched book, and it brings out the Cardinals' intellect, his spirituality and his powerful and infectious joy in the Gospel.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly quick read as I really wanted to get the overall picture, not the minutiae. This book is probably a little too "inside baseball" however as someone who has listened to, & read about Dolan over the past 5 years, I found it interesting to learn more about how he was formed.

[Nathanael]

I received this book as a giveaway through Goodreads.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, and a very interesting Cardinal. Makes me want to go to Mass at St Patricks in NYC and see him.

[Brace1737 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worthwhile book for the insight it gives on the innner workings of the Catholic Church

[Johann Thalakada · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read on a lively, boisterous and encouraging priest.

[Samuel Cotton]

America’s Pope. What a joke.