Bishop Dolan .

Daniel Lytle Dolan was born Monday, May 28, 1951 in Detroit, Michigan, son of the late David and Rosemary (Lytle) Dolan. He began his journey to the priesthood in 1965 at the minor seminary of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He continued his studies in the Cistercian Order and at the seminary of the Society of St. Pius X in Econe, Switzerland, where was ordained a priest by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre on June 29, 1976.

After spending his first year as a priest in Europe, primarily in England, Father Dolan returned to the United States in early 1977, where he acquired a reputation as an eloquent preacher, and where in a few years, he had founded over 35 traditionalist Mass centers across the United States. Father Dolan's knowledge of the lives of the saints, Church doctrine, and liturgical rubrics were second to none. This knowledge allowed him to accomplish his goal of perpetuating and preserving the unchanged pre-Vatican II Catholic Mass, liturgical practices, and devotions.

In late April 1983, Father Dolan along with eight other American priests parted ways with the Society of St. Pius X due to the willingness of the Society to compromise with the modernist post-Vatican II reformers. Undaunted by this turn of events, Father Dolan zealously expanded his missionary apostolate. St. Gertrude the Great Church in Cincinnati, a parish which he himself founded in 1978 (and continued to serve as its pastor until his death) experienced rapid growth. Today it is one of the largest and most renowned in the United States.

In 1992 Bishop Mark A. Pivarunas, of the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen, asked Father Dolan to receive episcopal consecration. After prayerful reflection Father Dolan agreed in mid-1993 in order to assist clergy formerly belonging to Society of St. Pius X. Father Dolan was consecrated a bishop in St. Gertrude the Great Church in Cincinnati on Tuesday, November 30, 1993, the Feast of St. Andrew.

During the intervening years since his episcopal consecration, Bishop Dolan conducted a national and international apostolate. He administered the sacrament of confirmation in churches in the United States overseen by former members of Society of St. Pius X. He also traveled extensively internationally to traditionalist churches and assisted traditional Catholic organizations and clergy in Mexico, Brazil, France, Belgium, Poland, Ukraine, Ireland, Philippines, and Italy.

Bishop Dolan also ordained seminarians and priests for the Priestly Society of Trent of Mexico, the Institute of Mater Boni Consilii of Verrua Savoia, Italy, Most Holy Trinity Seminary of Brooksville, Florida, and other traditional Catholic organizations. On two occasions Bishop Dolan also served as a co-consecrator of a new bishop. Most recently, he consecrated a new bishop for the faithful of Latin America ensuring the faithful there had continued access to all the sacraments of the Catholic Church.
On Tuesday, April 26, 2022, Bishop Dolan was suddenly called from his labors in the vineyard of the Lord. He leaves behind his brother priests and seminarians, his beloved parishioners of St. Gertrude the Great Church, as well as countless thousands of virtual parishioners world-wide who relied on St. Gertrude the Great Church's Internet apostolate to nourish them spiritually, especially during the troubled and uncertain days of these past two years.

Bishop Dolan is also survived by his brothers Tom and Kevin , sisters Julianne and Maureen, and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by brothers David Dolan, Jr., and Michael Dolan.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Gertrude the Great for the support of poor priests and seminarians.