My friend Cardinal Dolan — prince of the church, and America’s parish priest

If you’ve ever had the privilege of listening to Timothy Cardinal Dolan preach at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, you’ve surely heard him refer to the towering house of worship as “America’s parish church.”

Something similar could be said of the larger-than-life man himself: He’s America’s parish priest.

Dolan’s humility, humor and deeply human love for others have long marked him as a singular force in the Catholic Church.

Now that Pope Leo has accepted Dolan’s resignation at the mandatory retirement age of 75 and officially announced his successor, Catholics across the country are reflecting on the outgoing cardinal’s powerful witness for Jesus Christ.

Many Americans first came to know Cardinal Dolan when he served as president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops from 2010 to 2013.

As the voice of the American Catholic hierarchy, he vigorously opposed President Barack Obama’s attempt to force Catholic organizations — even nuns — to cover contraception, which the church holds to be a grave moral evil, under Obamacare.

Yet even when Dolan was at his most strident, he always wore a beaming smile.

It was a powerful national introduction to a man whose faith was defined by joy — and as joy so often is, his was infectious.

But that was always Timothy Dolan.

I first met the then-bishop in 2006, when we both served on the board of the Catholic University of America.

After Pope Benedict appointed him archbishop of New York in 2009, we’d both catch a train up to Manhattan after finishing our duties in DC.

Whenever he’d board, he’d loudly greet every passenger and worker he encountered, giving the sign of the cross to all.

For the next three hours, he’d talk to dozens of people, often hugging complete strangers as if they were his best friends.

He always got a beer, too — but only ever one.

Thus began our own friendship, now almost 20 years strong.

Pope Benedict made Dolan a cardinal in 2012, but even as a prince of the church, he was always a man of the people — regularly walking down Fifth Avenue, slapping backs and grinning broadly, his voice booming over the busy street.

You could often find him eating at a fast-food joint like Steak ‘N’ Shake, his favorite back home in Missouri.

Never have I met a shepherd who so loved being in the midst of his flock.

His great ability was being able to connect with anyone — rich and poor, young and old, from any of the countless creeds in New York City.

A few years ago when I brought my family to meet him before the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Dolan placed his red cardinal’s hat, the zucchetto, on my then-7-year-old grandson’s head, utterly delighting the boy and us all.

Another time, I introduced him to my mother. We were supposed to leave after 10 minutes, but the cardinal talked with her for more than an hour, enthralled by their shared midwestern roots.

That’s him to a tee: A larger-than-life presence with an open, accessible heart.

Dolan’s warm, welcoming approach is all the more impressive given the challenges he’s faced.

He oversaw the closure and mergers of dozens of parishes and schools as longtime Catholic enclaves dwindled, leaving either for the suburbs or secularism.

He’s also had to grapple with the reality of decades-old abuse scandals, announcing a $300 million fund for victims just last week.

But even in moments of pain and division, he pointed others to the healing and unity that spring from Christ.

Dolan could surely have continued to serve as archbishop of New York for years to come.

He submitted his resignation to Pope Francis after his 75th birthday in February, as required by canon law, but popes have let bishops stay in office until age 80 or even longer.

But Pope Leo has made his decision — and Catholics in New York, and far beyond, are praying that soon-to-be-Archbishop Ronald Hicks proves to be a leader cut from Dolan’s cloth.

What will the cardinal do now? By rights, he can still vote in papal elections until he’s 80, and he’ll still hold all the privileges of a bishop.

But I suspect my friend won’t seek prestige or power.

Instead, he’ll continue to seek out people, ministering to them while sharing a laugh and maybe a beer.

Just as you’d expect from a man who, despite leading America’s parish church so well for so long, embodies the best of a parish priest.

Tim Busch is co-founder of the Napa Institute, a Catholic lifestyle organization.