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NYPD Names Cardinal Dolan and Rev. A.R. Bernard Co-Chief Chaplains

The dual appointment concludes the search to succeed Rabbi Alvin Kass, with a Feb. 24 installation at One Police Plaza.

Overview

  • Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced the selections during her State of the NYPD address on Feb. 10.
  • Dolan retired last week as Archbishop of New York and was succeeded by Archbishop Ronald Hicks, yet he remains in the city for this new role.
  • Bernard, founder of Brooklyn’s Christian Cultural Center, leads a ministry reported at about 37,000 members and maintains longstanding civic ties, including recognition from the NYPD Guardians Association.
  • As co-chaplains, they will oversee a 10-member, multi-faith chaplains unit that provides confidential counseling, crisis support and ceremonial leadership to nearly 50,000 uniformed and civilian employees.
  • Tisch invoked the Hebrew term “tzadik” to describe the moral leadership sought for the post following Kass’s death in October after decades of service.