Rome, Italy, Feb 19, 2012 / 10:58 am
Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York says he is happy to be a cardinal but that he is aiming for a higher calling.
"As grateful as I am for being a Cardinal, I really want to be a saint," Cardinal Dolan said to the media after the Feb. 18 ceremony. "I mean that, and I've got a long way to go but it is all about holiness, it is all about friendship with Jesus and it is all about being a saint. And that's what I want to be."
Cardinal Dolan said he was particularly moved by the announcement of two new American saints at the conclusion of the consistory.
In total, Pope Benedict announced seven new saints who will be canonized on Oct. 21. The group includes Blesseds Marianne Cope and Kateri Tekakwitha, who will become the first Native American to be declared a saint.