Whoever is chosen to succeed Archbishop Timothy Dolan in Milwaukee had better be up for a challenge. Not that Milwaukee is a particularly difficult archdiocese to lead, but Dolan made quite an impression here. His successor has a big shadow to fill.

Dolan's amiable personality and deep spirituality made him popular among young Catholics and more liberal members of the Church. We are not suggesting Dolan's replacement subject himself to a personality contest. But the 'everyman' quality Dolan brought to Milwaukee seems, at times, to be in short supply in our spiritual leaders. Dolan's successor should maintain the open discussions of faith he started in Milwaukee, particularly with young people. As Mass attendance declines around the world, Milwaukee's new archbishop should make a special effort to usher young Catholics back to the Church by speaking openly about his own faith.

Under Dolan's watch, access to Catholic education in Milwaukee increased greatly through the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program. The plethora of problems facing Milwaukee Public Schools is the topic of another editorial, but while MPS sputters, the Catholic Church has been given an incredible chance to provide children of all faiths with a robust, nurturing education.

We hope Milwaukee's new archbishop continues Dolan's progress in Catholic education and develops a special relationship with Marquette. The university is one of the city's largest Catholic institutions, and its students and staff are eager to be called into service for the Church.

Anyone who has spent a period of time in Milwaukee knows parts of the city are racially segregated and rife with crime. The new archbishop should take steps beyond where Dolan left off and use faith as a means for integration and understanding. By working directly with parishes to address issues such as drug and alcohol rehabilitation, unstable and single-parent families and gang-related violence, the new archbishop can bring segregated parts of the city into the wider faith community.

We applaud the Vatician for its wisdom in selecting such a wonderful man to lead New York in the faith. We hope it will apply the same diligence to finding an equally fantastic candidate to take the helm in Milwaukee.

During his first press conference in his new position as Archbishop of New York, Dolan talked about the difference between being religious and belonging to a spiritual community.

"They want to believe without belonging," Dolan told the gathering of New York media outlets. "The Church is at her best when we invite, when we appeal to people, when we call for what's best in them."

We read his comments with pride because part of Dolan will always belong to Milwaukee, but we also felt a sense of loss. We are certain Dolan will lead successfully in New York with all of his God-given gifts. We only hope his replacement back home matches up.