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FULL: Meet the new Archbishop of New York, Ronald Hicks
Pope Leo XIV accepted Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s resignation today, ending his 16-year leadership of the New York Archdiocese as he steps down at the customary retirement age of 75. Pope Leo XIV accepted Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s resignation today, ending his 16-year leadership of the New York Archdiocese as he steps down at the customary retirement age of 75.
NEW YORK - On the eve of his installation, Bishop Ronald A. Hicks led a Vespers prayer service as he prepared to assume leadership of more than 2.5 million Catholics.
What we know:
Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks is set to be installed as Archbishop of New York on Friday at 2 p.m. during a special Mass at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.
The installation ceremony combines Catholic tradition, liturgy and church administration.
During the Mass, the Pope’s official letter appointing Hicks as archbishop will be read aloud by the apostolic nuncio, the Pope’s ambassador to the United States.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan (L) and his successor Ronald Hicks (R) arrive to lead a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in the Manhattan borough of New York City on December 18, 2025. Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of New York's conservative Archbi …
Hicks will formally accept the appointment and take his seat at the cathedra, the archbishop’s chair, marking the start of his leadership of the Archdiocese of New York.
He will assume responsibility for shepherding more than 2 million Catholics across New York City and surrounding counties as Cardinal Dolan moves into the role of archbishop emeritus.
Who is Archbishop-designate Ronald Hicks?
Dig deeper:
Hicks, 57, brings a wide mix of pastoral, academic and leadership experience to New York.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 18: New York Archbishop-Designate Donald Hicks speaks at a press conference at St. Patricks Cathedral on December 18, 2025 in New York City. Hicks, known for his pro-migrant stance, spent five years in El Salvador and wa …
He was born on August 4, 1967, in Chicago and graduated from Niles College Seminary before earning a philosophy degree from Loyola University Chicago. He went on to study at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake and Mundelein Seminary, where he later returned as a faculty member. He also completed a Doctor of Ministry degree there.
Hicks was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21, 1994. He spent his early years in parish ministry and later helped shape future priests as dean of formation at Saint Joseph College Seminary.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 18: Cardinal Dolan (R) and New York Archbishop-Designate Donald Hicks attend a press conference at St. Patricks Cathedral on December 18, 2025 in New York City. Hicks, known for his pro-migrant stance, spent five years i …
From 2005 to 2009, he moved to Central America to lead Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, a charity that cares for orphaned and abandoned children across Latin America.
His work there, along with his fluency in Spanish, has become a major part of his pastoral identity and deepened his connection to immigrant communities.
When he returned to Chicago, he resumed seminary leadership and was later appointed vicar general in 2015, the archdiocese’s top administrative role after the archbishop. Pope Francis named him an auxiliary bishop in 2018, and he became bishop of Joliet in 2020.
A new chapter for the New York Archdiocese
What's next:
Archbishop-designate Hicks will now shepherd more than 2 million Catholics across New York City and its surrounding counties.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan (R) and his successor Ronald Hicks arrive to lead a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in the Manhattan borough of New York City on December 18, 2025. Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of New York's conservative Archbishop …
Cardinal Dolan, who led the archdiocese through the clergy abuse crisis, parish consolidations, the COVID-19 pandemic, and two papal conclaves, will now move into the role of archbishop emeritus.
This marks one of the most significant leadership transitions in the American Catholic Church — and the beginning of a new era for New York under Archbishop-designate Hicks.