He emulated the happiest, smartest people he knew – parish priests

Father Michael J. Dolan is chaplain of Legatus’ Hartford Chapter. He serves as president of the Archdiocese of Hartford’s 460-student Northwest Catholic High School (NWC) and lives in residence at the archdiocese’s Cathedral of St. Joseph.

Born in Waterbury, CT, he was ordained a priest in 1996. Having served in many parishes and roles and in campus ministry, today he is director of interreligious affairs for the archdiocese and will soon launch a podcast about the life of the believer in secular society.

Why did you want to serve as Legatus chaplain? What do you do?

I was asked by another priest to attend Legatus meetings and offer Mass for them. I was intrigued by the caliber and topics of conversation at these events and enjoyed the companionship of Catholics who had excelled in life. In much of my priestly ministry I have worked with the underprivileged. It was wonderful to encounter people who had the desire and means to help those underprivileged people in real and creative ways.

As chaplain, I offer Mass for Legates and attend dinners and board meetings. I help grow the organization by taking advantage of my contacts across the archdiocese to introduce some of the successful people I’ve known to Legatus and ask them to consider if it might be a good fit for them. I help scout out interesting worship and dining locations for future Legatus events.

Why did you decide to go to the seminary?

Years ago, I asked myself, “What will make me most happy?” I saw that the parish priests around me were the happiest, smartest, and most interesting people I knew, so I decided to follow in their footsteps.

What do you find most rewarding and most challenging about the priesthood?

The most rewarding thing is when you run into people whom you’ve touched in the past who return to thank you.

Just recently, a man whom I’d helped get into college took me to lunch to thank me for my help. It makes me feel like a stepfather, like St. Joseph, and really makes me look forward to each day.

But there are challenges. The priesthood calls on you for talents you do not know you have. I am constantly engaging in public speaking and writing. I knew I’d be doing a lot on the sacramental side, but there is a huge business side as well, being a good steward of the resources you’ve been given.

My worst single day in the priesthood occurred in 2012, when I was state police chaplain. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, I had to inform the parents of a first grader that their child was among those who died.

What do you do as NWC president?

Half is fundraising, and much of the rest is coordinating the education and faith formation of our students with our two principals. I also cheer on our sports teams from the sidelines.

How can we keep young people in the Church?

As Pope Benedict XVI advised, we need to propose, not impose, the Faith. We need to give our young people a positive experience of the Faith in worship by having liturgies with good preaching, high-quality music, and clear symbols. We need to encourage them to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, distinguishing that it is a Christian effort rather than just a humanitarian effort. We need to share with them the value of the Christian worldview in life, such as the importance of redemptive suffering.