New N.Y. archbishop Timothy Dolan appears at St. Patrick's

He'll speak out against abortion and stem-cell research. He wants to see the new Yankee Stadium, and plans on being a regular at the hot-dog stand outside his office.

He hopes to learn Spanish, and likes to quaff a beer with friends now and then.

New York Catholics Monday got a glimpse of their new archbishop, Timothy Dolan, and few doubted he'd be different from the man he's replacing, Cardinal Edward Egan.

- Click here to see photos of Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan with Cardinal Edward Egan today and through the years

- Click here to see photos of Cardinal Edward Egan through the years

Dolan will take over a sprawling archdiocese with 2.5 million parishioners that faces intense budget pressures and fallout from the priest sexual abuse scandal, as well as a flock traditionally dominated by Irish and Italians, but now seeing a surge of Hispanics.

Dolan is 59, replacing a 76-year-old theologian who is praised as a no-nonsense administrator but has been criticized for being autocratic.

On a daylong jaunt around New York City Monday, the St. Louis native impressed quite a few churchgoers with his jovial style.

He appeared not to take himself too seriously. And while his predecessor seemed to regard the media as an annoyance, Dolan basked in reporters' attention.

Dolan said one of the happiest years of his life was 1964, when the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Yankees in the World Series. "Those days are over," he added. "I will now become a Yankees fan." (He diplomatically said he likes the Mets, too.)

Dolan, like Egan and his high-profile predecessor, Cardinal John O'Connor, is from the conservative wing of the Catholic Church. But Dolan is known for being more open to debate than Egan.

"Rather than confrontation, it would be engagement," he said of his way of opposing issues such as stem-cell research.

That's heartening news to parishioners in the area. "It's time for a more charismatic leader to serve more as a shepherd than as a CEO," said Michael Maloney of Garden City, who describes himself as a practicing Catholic but not a regular at church. "He needs to provide greater transparency into church operations and let more laypeople get involved in the running of the church."

Across New York, Dolan will find many skeptical Catholics who feel the church needs a message that can attract young parishioners who view divorce and cohabitation as a part of 21st century life and who are open to seeing women ordained. Many parishioners felt that Egan lacked the warmth and vitality that could energize Catholics who rarely set foot in church between Easter and Christmas.

The church is still reeling from the sexual scandals of recent years, and supporters say Dolan cracked down on pedophile priests in Milwaukee. But The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests criticized Dolan for not doing enough and for failing to punish those who covered up the priests' crimes.

In his travels Monday, Dolan acknowledged that New York is a magnet for people of all religions, and said that he will frequently meet with other religious leaders.

Referring to a Jewish-Catholic dialogue he's coordinated in recent years, he said, "I have found that intensely rewarding and enriching."

He's also expected to show the sense of humor that often puts parishioners at ease with him. While the church announced that he will officially start in New York just after Easter, he preferred to see it another way: "I'm still archbishop of Milwaukee until income tax day."

- Click here to see photos of Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan with Cardinal Edward Egan today and through the years

- Click here to see photos of Cardinal Edward Egan through the years