Cardinal Dolan Visits Bedford Hills Inmates

Cardinal Timothy Dolan's visit on Wednesday to a Bedford Hills prison helped those who are not free to attend mass celebrate their faith.

According to News12, Dolan's sense of humor brightened the spirits of about 30 inmates and several corrections officers who participated in the late morning homily.

"When I say Mass at a prison, it's one of the only places I go where people don't leave early," he joked.

He also offered hope to the prisoners, many of whom were celebrating life sentences, according to Lohud.

“God is with you. You know that, don’t you? He is very close to you.”

Dolan, 61, was made archbishop in 2009, leading New York's 2.6 million members of the Catholic church, in Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and many of the city's suburban counties, including Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties. He was

The Cardinal told news media gathered after the mass that he considered it a "moral imperative" to visit inmates and does so approximately four times per year to "pray with, and for them."