New York Archdiocese Welcomes New Archbishop Ronald Hicks as He Takes Helm of Over 2 Million Catholics
In a ceremony that marked the official installation of his new role, Archbishop Ronald Hicks vowed to reinvigorate the Catholic Church in New York by bringing new life to the faith and reconnecting with long-time members. Hicks, who succeeds outgoing Cardinal Timothy Dolan, has expressed a keen interest in engaging younger generations and fostering a sense of community among Catholics in the five boroughs.
The 58-year-old leader, who was chosen by Pope Leo XIV in December, brings diverse experience to his new position, having served as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. A native Chicagoan like his pope, Hicks has already shown enthusiasm for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza and is eager to continue discussions on this iconic culinary topic.
Prior to his appointment, Hicks spent five years as a missionary in El Salvador, where he developed fluency in Spanish. This skill will likely prove valuable in navigating the city's diverse Catholic population. According to David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, Hicks will be New York's first archbishop fluent in Spanish.
Hicks' approach to his new role has been characterized as centrist, aiming for unity amidst a polarized environment. His predecessor, Cardinal Dolan, described him as "immensely qualified" and pledged full cooperation with the new archbishop.
On Friday, Hicks will formally assume his duties at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown, where he led a prayer service on Thursday evening. A mass installation ceremony is set for 2 p.m., marking an important milestone in his tenure as New York's leader.
In a ceremony that marked the official installation of his new role, Archbishop Ronald Hicks vowed to reinvigorate the Catholic Church in New York by bringing new life to the faith and reconnecting with long-time members. Hicks, who succeeds outgoing Cardinal Timothy Dolan, has expressed a keen interest in engaging younger generations and fostering a sense of community among Catholics in the five boroughs.
The 58-year-old leader, who was chosen by Pope Leo XIV in December, brings diverse experience to his new position, having served as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois. A native Chicagoan like his pope, Hicks has already shown enthusiasm for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza and is eager to continue discussions on this iconic culinary topic.
Prior to his appointment, Hicks spent five years as a missionary in El Salvador, where he developed fluency in Spanish. This skill will likely prove valuable in navigating the city's diverse Catholic population. According to David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, Hicks will be New York's first archbishop fluent in Spanish.
Hicks' approach to his new role has been characterized as centrist, aiming for unity amidst a polarized environment. His predecessor, Cardinal Dolan, described him as "immensely qualified" and pledged full cooperation with the new archbishop.
On Friday, Hicks will formally assume his duties at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown, where he led a prayer service on Thursday evening. A mass installation ceremony is set for 2 p.m., marking an important milestone in his tenure as New York's leader.
he sounds like a really down-to-earth guy who's not afraid to poke fun at himself (deep-dish pizza enthusiast 
) and isn't afraid to speak his mind. I hope he brings some fresh energy to the archdiocese! 
also, being fluent in Spanish is a huge deal - NYC is such a diverse city and I think it'll be awesome for Hicks to navigate that as an archbishop 
like who cares? but seriously, i feel like there's gonna be some drama with all these different cultures in one place. how's he gonna bring new life to the faith if he can't even talk to his people without a translator? 
. Bringing people together in a polarized world sounds like a huge task, but if anyone can do it, he might be the one 
. I love that he's all about connecting with younger folks and building a sense of community - it's about time we saw some change from the old guard 
. And let's be real, being fluent in Spanish is like, a total game-changer for navigating the city's diverse Catholic population 
. I'm curious to see how he'll balance unity with making tough decisions - fingers crossed he'll make NYC proud 
.
His background as a missionary in El Salvador will definitely give him an edge when it comes to navigatin' the diverse Catholic scene here. Can't wait to see what he's got cookin' for us - and maybe even some Chicago-style pizza parties? 
especially since i'm always down to try out that chicago deep-dish pizza 
... seems like he's all about reinvigorating the faith and bringing in some fresh perspectives, which is kinda cool 
. i'm curious to see how he'll connect with the younger crowd - we've got a pretty diverse population here 
. and btw, deep-dish pizza is definitely an iconic new york thing 
. but seriously, it's great that hicks has some experience under his belt from his time as bishop in illinois 
. what do you guys think about this new archbishop? 
. Like, who cares if he speaks Spanish? That's just a tool for the church to reach out to more people, right? 
What's really gonna change is just the way they do things, not the underlying issues they're trying to solve... 
! I mean, have you seen that pic of him with a slice of deep-dish pizza? 
. Let's get ready to see some positive vibes from the Big Apple 
️!