Vatican City – Pope Leo XIV has chosen H.E. Most Reverend Ronald A. Hicks as the new Archbishop of New York, calling him to lead one of the most visible and influential ecclesiastical sees in the United States.
Who is Ronald A. Hicks
Ronald Aldon Hicks, born on 4 August 1967 in Harvey (Illinois), is an American prelate who has developed a pastoral and governance profile within one of the most complex contexts of the American Church - the Chicago area - with a significant period also spent in Latin America. After studies in philosophy (Loyola University Chicago, 1989) and theological formation culminating in the Master of Divinity (1994), he was ordained a priest on 21 May 1994 by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin in Chicago. He held parish and formation roles, eventually becoming responsible for formation; in 2003 he also earned a Doctor of Ministry.
A distinctive feature of his path is his experience with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos: after a year of volunteer work in Mexico, he was then sent to El Salvador as regional director for the organization’s facilities in Latin America. Returning to the United States, he was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago (2015), then auxiliary bishop of Chicago (2018), and finally bishop of Joliet (2020).
Who leaves New York
The designated successor takes the place of Cardinal Timothy Michael Dolan, born on 6 February 1950 in Saint Louisand now seventy-five. Dolan was appointed Archbishop of New York on 23 February 2009 and, consequently, led the archdiocese for about 16 years. A leading figure in the American episcopate, he also served as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (2010–2013) and was created cardinal in 2012.
To the Italian bishops gathered in Assisi in recent weeks, Leo had said: “Also on this last point, allow me to offer you some indications. A synodal Church, which walks in the furrows of history while facing the emerging challenges of evangelization, needs to renew itself constantly. We must avoid that, even with good intentions, inertia slows the necessary changes. In this regard, all of us must cultivate the interior attitude that Pope Francis has called ‘learning to take leave,’ an attitude that is precious when one must prepare to leave one’s office. It is good to respect the rule of 75 years for the conclusion of the service of Ordinaries in dioceses and, only in the case of Cardinals, one may evaluate a continuation of ministry, possibly for another two years.” In the case of Cardinal Dolan, however, Leo XIV chose not to extend it further.
A strategic appointment
The choice of the new Archbishop of New York has national significance because the archdiocese serves an enormous and symbolically central area: it covers three boroughs of New York City (including Manhattan and the Bronx) and several counties north of the city; on the pastoral level, it cares for about 2.5 million souls in nearly 300 parishes. This appointment means bringing to a key see a bishop with governance experience in a large local Church, with formation expertise and a missionary background in Latin America. A profile that, in the United States, will inevitably carry weight in the relationship between the Church, the public sphere, and the major social and economic dossiers that intersect precisely in New York.
d.M.C.
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