The Untold Story of How Cardinal Dolan Helped Make a Times Square Pro-Life Rally Possible

Many evangelicals are aware of Timothy Michael Dolan, the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of New York’s 2.8 million Catholics.

Cardinal Dolan, as he is called, will be retiring next month. He’s been a priest for almost 50 years, and at his current post since 2009. As a result of Canon 401 of the Code of Canon Law, bishops are required to submit their resignation at the age of 75, which Cardinal Dolan did earlier this year. He’ll be officially turning things over to Bishop Ronald Hicks.

Writing in the Wall Street Journal last month, the Reverend Raymond de Souza called his friend a happy warrior — an apt description. He explained:

Cardinal Dolan exhibited that lightness of spirit the day Focus on the Family president Jim Daly joined him in his First Avenue office on a snowy January day back in 2014. I had the privilege of accompanying him that day and was honored to meet the Catholic prelate. I had admired Cardinal Dolan from a distance since his appointment. His public persona of a “hail fellow well met” guy was well known.

Greeting us warmly, we were ushered into his office. He immediately started asking questions, inquired about our personal backgrounds, family, ministry efforts, our hopes and dreams. The conversation turned to baseball. Growing up in St. Louis, he idolized Stan Musial. We had just passed the one-year anniversary of Stan’s death. Dolan said being a fan of his “made him proud to now be a Cardinal.”

Jim Daly and Cardinal Dolan spent some time talking about their mutual commitment to preserving and protecting innocent preborn life. They discussed the upcoming March for Life in Washington, D.C., adoption, efforts to save more babies, and specifically, Focus on the Family’s Option Ultrasound program. The two happy Irishmen parted ways with promises to remain in touch and to continue looking for ways to work together.

There were notes and conversations in the proceeding years, but nothing as significant as in the spring of 2019 when Focus on the Family announced plans to feature a live ultrasound in New York City’s Times Square on Saturday, May 4.

The audacious idea was hatched after the New York State Legislature passed a radical abortion bill that expanded and increased the deaths of preborn babies. In fact, many of the legislators literally cheered its passage on the chamber floor. The Empire State Building was specially lit to commemorate the politician’s embrace of the culture of death.

“Let’s broadcast a live ultrasound on a big screen in Times Square,” suggested Daly. The team reached out to owners of the various digital billboards. All of them eagerly took our calls — until they heard what we wanted to put up on their screens. Suddenly, they didn’t have any availability, despite having plenty moments earlier.

We decided to rent our own screens, which would be pulled in on big trucks. But an event of this caliber and scope required special permitting from the city. We were told city officials would likely frown on allowing such a high-profile pro-life event. The New York City Police Department also needed to approve — and given the controversial subject matter, it was unlikely they would sign off on such a spectacle.

Back at Focus headquarters, teams were praying daily for the many details of the event, which we decided to title, “Alive From New York.” Messages and emails weren’t being returned very quickly from city officials. We were told that if approval came at all, it would likely take a long time. With the days ticking away, we had to plan as if it would happen despite not having approval to hold it.

It was the writer of Ecclesiastes (traditionally thought to be King Solomon) who observed, “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (4:12). Amid the delay, Jim Daly reached out to Cardinal Dolan to brief him on our plans. He was excited and the archbishop offered to help break the logjam.

Over the years, Focus had also forged a relationship with not only Cardinal Dolan, but also the “Sisters of Life,” a religious community in New York City dedicated to supporting women navigating unplanned pregnancies. A colleague and I visited a representative of the group during a visit to New York to see if they might be willing to help us navigate city politics.

When approval finally came the night before the event, we later found out it was Cardinal Dolan, along with the Sisters of Life, who had pressed the issue on our behalf. Over 20,000 people packed Times Square that next day — the largest ever pro-life rally in New York.

Scripture makes clear the power of relationships, especially when it comes to partnering with likeminded people and groups. There was no way of knowing back on that snowy day in 2014 that a friendly meeting would five years later lead to a remarkable day at the “Crossroads of the World” — but that’s just how the Lord works.

We wish Cardinal Dolan a productive and happy retirement.