His Eminence Timothy Dolan, who is a longtime Cardinals fan, is now a member of the team. And it’s only natural that we shared in the joy of the archdiocese as Archbishop Timothy Dolan became a cardinal last weekend.

The Diocese of Brooklyn is unique in that it shares the city with the Archdiocese of New York. Most Catholics in the city live in Brooklyn or Queens but they go to Manhattan every day to work, to play and to be.

Many from this side of the river travelled to Rome to be with the city’s new Prince of the Church. Our own Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio and Auxiliary Bishop Frank Caggiano were among the 1,000 people from New York who were in the Eternal City for the red-hat festivities.

And our new communications agency, the DeSales Media Group, worked overtime as we broadcast live on TV the installation to the entire city, as well as beyond, via Internet stream.

Some of tech people worked through the night. Others were on call last Saturday at 3 a.m. at The NET’s studios in Park Slope on the day of the installation. Engineers were preparing for the feed from Vatican TV and commentary from Vatican Radio. I was at the anchor desk with Father John Cush, spiritual director of Cathedral Prep Seminary, Elmhurst, awaiting the red line that signalled we were on the air. At 4:30 a.m., the countdown ended and the light went on. In spite of the hectic pre-show preparations, the operation proceeded like a well-oiled machine, guided by Mike Geoghan, project manager of the event.

Father Cush, a last-minute replacement, was masterful as he brought expert commentary that relied on his days studying at North American College in Rome. He talked personally about Cardinal Dolan, who was rector of NAC while he was a student there. Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, a Bronx boy, was the outgoing rector, so he also could relate stories about the man who now serves as head of the Equestrian Order of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher.

Father Cush also remembered new Cardinals Josef Becker and Prosper Grech, who taught him at NAC. Great theologians, demanding professors, he recalled.

In Rome, The NET’s new Currents’ anchor Liz Faublas was sending back packages for broadcast and they were shown following the ceremony along with an exclusive interview with Cardinal Dolan that had been taped in New York by Msgr. Kieran Harrington, our Vicar for Communications.

While it was technically a holiday weekend, Tablet staffers were busy compiling photos and copy from correspondents in Rome as we rushed toward our Tuesday deadline. The results are in your hands at this moment.

Kudos to everyone at DeSales for making the weekend such a success that it was. The names are too numerous to mention but special mention must be made of Ryan Stewart, the new program director for NET and director for the installation event, who spent most of the week making things happen behind the scenes in Rome.

This weekend, NET will bring you live coverage of the prayer service which Cardinal Dolan will celebrate at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 10:30 a.m.

No, it may not exactly be a local story about our diocese, but it is our city, our church, and our story.