Tisch names Dolan, Bernard as heads of NYPD Chaplains Unit

Cardinal Dolan prepares to hand over leadership of New York Catholic Church

After more than a decade leading New York’s Catholic community, Cardinal Timothy Dolan is handing over leadership to Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks. Hicks will be officially installed Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, marking a new chapter for the Archdiocese.

NEW YORK - Timothy Cardinal Dolan and Rev. A.R. Bernard will lead the NYPD's Chaplains Unit, Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced during her State of the NYPD address.

NYPD Chaplains Unit

What we know:

The NYPD Chaplains Unit provides "confidential counseling, spiritual assistance and moral guidance" to both members of the NYPD and their families.

The unit, which was formed in 1906, has grown substantially in size to accommodate the different faiths NYPD members hold.

The NYPD's Chaplains Unit consists of 10 chaplains, and their duties include:

• Visiting police facilities
• Attending department functions where a benediction will be made
• Providing spiritual guidance to members and their families
• Conducting memorial ceremonies

Doland and Bernard

The backstory:

Dolan is the former Archbishop of New York, recently succeeded by Archbishop Ronald Hicks.

FULL: Installation mass of NY Archbishop Ronald Hicks

Ronald Hicks was installed as the new Archbishop of New York.

Bernard is the founder of the Christian Cultural Center in Brooklyn. He also received the Distinguished Recognition Award from the NYPD Guardians Association a few months ago.

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES - 2024/07/14: Reverend A.R. Bernard speaks at the City Hall during a call for unity after assassination attempt of Former President Donald Trump. Mayor Eric Adams and all speakers underlined the danger of guns in the hands of

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What they're saying:

Tisch provided this statement in response to the announcement:

"For more than a century, our Chaplains Unit has made sure that our officers never have to carry the tremendous weight of their work alone. They’ve helped officers find their better angels and remember the calling that lives at the heart of this work. 

As I was thinking about who should fill this role, one Hebrew word kept coming to mind — ‘Tzadik,’ a person of righteousness. 

Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Reverend A.R. Bernard are two of the most righteous people this City has ever known. They are two men of incredible faith whose life and leadership embody the moral clarity, compassion, and wisdom our officers rely on in their hardest moments. 

For decades, they have helped shape the spiritual life of this city through leadership that reaches far beyond their pulpits. Their decision to serve the NYPD speaks to something enduring between faith and policing, and to the place the Chief Chaplain role has long held in the lives of the men and women who wear the shield."