Tim Dolan and the Elder Brethren

Next week, the archbishop of Milwaukee is off to Poland for a weeklong ecumenical trip with six other bishops -- Bob Baker, Malone of Portland, Bob "It's Bishop" McManus of Worcester, Placido Rodriguez of Lubbock, Sartain of Little Rock and Serratelli of Paterson -- and three rabbis. Tip to the Great Tom Heinen of the J-S for a solid story.

Among several visits and speeches, a dinner with Dziwisz is planned for the Krakow leg of the journey.

And from Rabbi Joseph Ehrenkranz, executive director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Understanding at Sacred Heart U. in Fairfield, CT (the organizer of the trip), we have this anointing of Milwaukee's Best for bigger things:

"Dolan is unique in these groups," Ehrenkranz said. "I see him as a future cardinal and a very important leader of the Catholic community in the United States.

"I believe he will eventually be the chairman of the Jewish-Catholic dialogue in the United States. He's a very humble person, easy to get along with, very personable. I saw this as an opportunity to get a personal relationship with the archbishop."

The other bishops who accepted invitations all come from communities where the Jewish population is not as significant as it is in some other areas, Ehrenkranz said.

It's always been said that there's a Big Apple in Dolan's future. Place your bets.

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