I’m getting more than a few e-mails from Wisconsin today in praise of Archbishop Dolan:

Kathryn,
As in this baseball offseason, New York’s gain is Milwaukee’s loss.
Even though I am a member of the Madison Diocese, I have friends and relatives in Milwaukee. When Bishop Dolan replaced Rembert Weakland, the feeling that a weight had been lifted was palpable. To say that he was a breath of fresh air is a grand understatement. Bishop Dolan’s focus, the faith, was so refreshing … The hand of God was evident in Bishop Dolan’s appointment in 2002.

and

K-Lo,
Having met Archbishop Dolan on several occasions (I am one of his Milwaukee flock) and being entertained by him at his residence on one very memorable Sunday in late 2007, I can tell you that he is the genuine article. He is a great homilist and a loving shepard. One of the things that most made an impression on me was his love of life. He so enjoys being God’s servant. I am overjoyed that New York will be blessed by this great man. I pray that he leads with the same vitality, humility and wisdom that he gave to us in Milwaukee.
After Rembert Weakland, we needed a strong orthodox presence in Milwaukee and with Archbishop Dolan we received that. I pray that our next Archbishop will be as faithful as Dolan.

and

Kathryn,
Archbishop Dolan, who will soon become the face of the American Catholic Church, is perfectly prepared for such a lofty spot. His move to NYC is bittersweet for us Milwaukee area Catholics. He helped heal a lot of old wounds here, and was a gregarious, ecumenical, pastoral figure throughout the area. His joyous approach to the job, and life, has been refreshing. Milwaukee’s loss is American Catholics’ gain.

and

I live in a suburb north of Milwaukee and our parish is part of the Milwaukee Archdiocese. Archbishop Dolan inherited a real mess from his predecessor, Archbishop Weakland and has done wonders during his time here. He’s a happy, outgoing, fun guy and I will guarantee your first impression of him will be a good one. The guy took us all by surprise when he came to Milwaukee. Like many others, our archdiocese was damaged by story after story and lawsuit after lawsuit alleging sexual abuse. … we were tired of the messes. God and the Pope heard our prayers and gave us Dolan. He has an invigorating style, tells jokes, laughs out loud at his own pratfalls and is just an average guy [who happens to be smart and orthodox] …. The good old Germans and Irishmen from our area took to him immediately. We are all going to miss him here in the Land O Cheese.