Cardinal Dolan Returns After Vatican Elevation

Timothy Cardinal Dolan returned to his beloved New York fold Tuesday after a whirlwind Vatican voyage during which he was made a prince of the Catholic church.

The Big Apple's archbishop arrived at Kennedy Airport shortly after 2:00pm local time after a nine-hour flight, accompanied by plane load of faithful flock who made the trip to Rome for the occasion.

Dolan, sitting in business class, was whisked away to his residence behind St. Patrick's Cathedral, where the New York Police Department's Emerald Society Pipe and Drum band was waiting to salute him.

"You make me feel at home," Dolan said to the crowd outside St. Patrick's after he arrived with his mother, Shirley.

"It's good to be home. I know I got to do a lot of traveling but there's nothing like just getting back home. And now to have my mom with me, it really makes it home. She'll be with me until Monday. "

Dolan's fans were glad to have him back.

"We are proud as anything to play for him," said Emerald Society drummer Sean Scanlan, 56, a retired detective.

"I felt pride when I got the call to come and play."

Dolan was elevated to cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI during a nine-day trip to the Vatican.

Among the highlights was introducing his mother to the pontiff.

Instead of sleeping in late Wednesday morning, His Eminence will visit a Manhattan parish at 6:00am to hand out bread to the homeless.

"It's great," said Enza Fiorito, 51, who stopped by St. Francis of Assisi to pray on her lunch break.

"He's really tired, but he's getting up to come to this small church and to honor this church. I feel honored."

Dolan, who also will kick off Ash Wednesday services, has said he may have to give up some of his beloved pasta for Lent. Read more: NYPost