Archbishop Timothy Dolan may be a religious leader, but he'll also be working closely with the city's politicians throughout his tenure. NY1's Grace Rauh filed the following report.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan was just named as Cardinal Egan's successor in New York and already the expectations for him are high, from inside and outside of government.

Many of the city's Catholic schools are struggling to stay afloat. And the abysmal economy is squeezing the city's poor.

"When you look back at moments of significant organizing efforts in this city, particularly around issues of poverty and immigration, issues that are very prominent right now in our city, you've seen the Archbishop and Cardinal of New York be a leader in those at different times," said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

Other issues of concern to Catholics are much more controversial, like the prospect that gay marriage will be legalized in New York -- a debate Catholics may be looking for Dolan to add his voice to.

City Councilman Miguel Martinez says there is a lot of excitement about Dolan's appointment, but some concern as well.

"There are many challenges that the church is facing, particularly with the schools, congregations, we want to make sure, in New York City particularly, where we have a large number of Latinos, practicing Catholics, that the issues in our communities are heard," said Martinez.

Work between the city and church is not uncommon. Earlier this month, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn announced a plan to turn several Catholic schools slated for closure into charter schools.

In a statement, Mayor Bloomberg said, "Archbishop Dolan has earned a reputation as a dynamic, energetic and ecumenical leader, as well as a great champion of Catholic education."

For now, much like other New Yorkers, city officials are just starting to learn about Dolan. But the message many sent out on Monday is that they welcome the archbishop to the city.