New York Archdiocese Welcomes Archbishop Ronald Hicks as He Takes Reins at Historic St. Patrick's Cathedral
In a nod to his shared heritage with Chicago, where Pope Leo XIV is from, the newly appointed Archbishop Ronald Hicks expressed his enthusiasm for New York City's iconic food scene during a press conference on Thursday. The 58-year-old Hicks, who has been chosen to lead over 2 million Roman Catholics in the five boroughs, is set to be formally installed as the leader of the archdiocese at St. Patrick's Cathedral this Friday.
Under Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who held the position for nearly two decades, the New York Archdiocese had become a prominent fixture in the city's religious landscape. However, Dolan submitted his resignation when he turned 75, and Hicks is poised to take the reins with a focus on revitalizing the church and engaging a younger generation of Catholics.
According to Hicks, the key to re-engaging parishioners lies in fostering a sense of community and relevance within the Church. "How do we pass our faith on to the next generation? How do we be a Church that is relevant, living, and beautiful, sharing our faith together?" he asked during his press conference.
A native of Illinois, Hicks spent five years as a missionary in El Salvador and has since honed his language skills in Spanish. This will prove instrumental in connecting with New York City's diverse Catholic population, where the Hispanic community is one of the largest demographic groups.
Hicks' appointment has been welcomed by Cardinal Dolan, who praised the new archbishop as "immensely qualified" for the role. When asked about Hicks' background and qualifications, David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University in Manhattan, noted that he will likely strive to be a centrist figure, unifying rather than polarizing.
As Hicks prepares to take over the helm at St. Patrick's Cathedral, he has already begun to make his mark on the archdiocese. He led a prayer service at the cathedral on Thursday evening and will formally assume office during a mass there this Friday at 2 p.m.
In a nod to his shared heritage with Chicago, where Pope Leo XIV is from, the newly appointed Archbishop Ronald Hicks expressed his enthusiasm for New York City's iconic food scene during a press conference on Thursday. The 58-year-old Hicks, who has been chosen to lead over 2 million Roman Catholics in the five boroughs, is set to be formally installed as the leader of the archdiocese at St. Patrick's Cathedral this Friday.
Under Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who held the position for nearly two decades, the New York Archdiocese had become a prominent fixture in the city's religious landscape. However, Dolan submitted his resignation when he turned 75, and Hicks is poised to take the reins with a focus on revitalizing the church and engaging a younger generation of Catholics.
According to Hicks, the key to re-engaging parishioners lies in fostering a sense of community and relevance within the Church. "How do we pass our faith on to the next generation? How do we be a Church that is relevant, living, and beautiful, sharing our faith together?" he asked during his press conference.
A native of Illinois, Hicks spent five years as a missionary in El Salvador and has since honed his language skills in Spanish. This will prove instrumental in connecting with New York City's diverse Catholic population, where the Hispanic community is one of the largest demographic groups.
Hicks' appointment has been welcomed by Cardinal Dolan, who praised the new archbishop as "immensely qualified" for the role. When asked about Hicks' background and qualifications, David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University in Manhattan, noted that he will likely strive to be a centrist figure, unifying rather than polarizing.
As Hicks prepares to take over the helm at St. Patrick's Cathedral, he has already begun to make his mark on the archdiocese. He led a prayer service at the cathedral on Thursday evening and will formally assume office during a mass there this Friday at 2 p.m.
just heard about Archbishop Ronald Hicks taking over at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC! I'm all about that new energy 
! As someone who's super passionate about tech for social good, I love how Hicks is talking about re-engaging parishioners and being a Church that's relevant to the next gen 
. Fostering community and using his Spanish skills will definitely help connect with NYC's diverse Catholic population 
! Can't wait to see what he brings to the table 
... btw, has anyone else heard anything about potential smart church projects or digital initiatives? 
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. We need leaders who are willing to take a stand and make some noise, not just pat each other on the back and pretend everything is okay 
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! He seems like such an amazing person who really cares about his community, you know? 
Fostering a sense of community and relevance is SO important, especially with the Catholic population in NYC being so diverse 
. I love that he's got experience as a missionary and speaks fluent Spanish, that's gonna be super helpful in connecting with the Hispanic community 
! Plus, it's awesome to see him focusing on engaging a younger generation of Catholics – let's bring them into the church and make it relevant again 
. Can't wait to see what he does next! 
especially with his spanish skills he'll be able to connect with the hispanic community in nyc it's like, so cool that he's not just talking the talk but also walking the walk having been a missionary in el salvador must've given him a unique perspective on what makes a church truly relevant 
. And let's be real, being fluent in Spanish is super helpful for connecting with the Hispanic community here in New York City 
. Now, we'll just have to wait and see if he can actually make some changes and not get stuck in a traditional way of thinking 
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... seriously though, it's great that he spoke up about passing faith on to the next gen. Can't wait to see what changes he brings! 
. But with Hicks at the helm, he's talkin' about changin' that narrative and bringin' people together. I'm lovin' the emphasis on community and relevance 
! With Hicks speakin' Spanish, we're gonna see a lot more inclusivity and diversity at St. Patrick's Cathedral 
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but seriously, revitalizing the church & engaging young folks is a tall order. cant wait to see how he does it tho...hope he brings some fresh ideas & doesnt get too stuck in tradition. 
. And let's be real, who doesn't love a good centrist figure, unifying people instead of dividin' 'em? 
It'll be interesting to see how he shakes things up at St. Patrick's Cathedral, but I'm feelin' hopeful for the future! 
i'm curious to see how he'll make the church more relatable to young ppl but hey at least they're tryna do somethin about it 
, another new Archbishop in town and everyone's expecting him to be some kinda miracle worker 
. I don't care if he's got connections with the Hispanic community or not, it's still gonna be a bunch of old rich people and souvenir shopping 
. And what's up with all these "relevance" talks 
He's got some cool experience as a missionary in El Salvador too, which will definitely help him connect with the city's diverse Catholic population 
️ His focus on fostering a sense of community and sharing faith together seems like a great way to revitalize the church 
️ I'm curious to see how he'll balance being inclusive and engaging while still keeping it traditional 
we need leaders who can tackle the big stuff, not just focus on "community" and "relevance"...
its gonna be interesting to see if he can bring some actual change to the church instead of just more of the same old rules & expectations 