Bishop Ronald A. Hicks arrives in New York not as a headline-chasing firebrand, but as a steady Chicago-bred pastor elevated by Pope Leo XIV to one of the most visible Catholic pulpits in the United States.
Chosen to succeed Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Hicks, 58, takes over the Archdiocese of New York at a moment of transition for American Catholic leadership, where tone, formation, and pastoral priorities matter as much as politics.
The appointment is widely seen as a window into how Pope Leo intends to shape the church in the U.S.
A native of Harvey, Illinois, Hicks was born on Aug. 4, 1967, and grew up in nearby South Holland, attending St. Jude the Apostle Parish and grade school before graduating from Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in 1985.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Niles College of Loyola University Chicago in 1989, followed by a Master of Divinity in 1994 and a Doctor of Ministry in 2003 from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.
That Mundelein formation would prove decisive.
Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21, 1994, Hicks served as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Chicago and later at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills before moving into priestly formation, a recurring theme throughout his career.
From 1999 to 2005, Hicks lived and ministered at St. Joseph College Seminary as dean of formation, shaping future priests rather than cultivating a public profile.
In 2005, with permission from Cardinal Francis George, he left Chicago for Central America, beginning a five-year term as regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), based in El Salvador.
There, Hicks oversaw the care of more than 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children across nine Latin American and Caribbean countries, a chapter that firmly placed him in the pastoral tradition later emphasized by Popes Francis and Leo.
After returning to Chicago, Hicks again took up formation work as dean of formation at Mundelein Seminary from 2010 to 2014 while assisting with weekend Masses at St. Jerome Parish in the Rogers Park neighborhood.
On Jan. 1, 2015, Cardinal Blase Cupich appointed him vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, making him one of the cardinal's most trusted deputies.
Hicks was ordained an auxiliary bishop of Chicago on Sept. 17, 2018, and in July 2020, Pope Francis named him the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, where he was installed at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus.
As bishop, Hicks has served on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations, as liaison to the Association of Ongoing Formation of Priests and the National Association of Diaconate Directors, and on the USCCB's Charter Review Workgroup. He also sits on the boards of the Catholic Extension Society and Mundelein Seminary.
"Letters from Leo," a Catholic newsletter written by journalist Christopher Hale that focuses on Vatican decision-making and U.S. church politics, framed the appointment as emblematic of Pope Leo's confidence in Chicago's ecclesial network.
As one source told the publication, "This is a Chicago priest, advocated by Cardinal Cupich, appointed by a Chicago Pope. It's a perfect trifecta."
The timing of the appointment appears carefully coordinated.
Cardinal Dolan turned 75 on Feb. 6, 2025, and formally submitted his resignation as required by church law.
In recent weeks, the Archdiocese of New York has also moved to resolve major administrative matters dating to Dolan's tenure, clearing the way for a smooth transition.
There are no public quotes on the record from Hicks about Dolan, nor from Dolan about Hicks, underscoring how deliberately low-profile Hicks has remained even as speculation about his future intensified.
The contrast between the two men is nonetheless evident.
Dolan, a gifted communicator, became one of the most recognizable Catholic figures in America, known for his media presence and political entanglements. Earlier this year, Dolan drew criticism after praising conservative leader Charlie Kirk as "a modern-day Saint Paul."
Hicks, by contrast, has largely avoided political commentary.
There is no public record of him speaking directly about President Donald Trump or past presidents, nor has he issued notable public statements on abortion, same-sex marriage, women in the clergy, ICE enforcement, or immigration policy beyond general pastoral language.
That restraint has shaped his reputation.
In Joliet, Hicks was widely viewed as accessible, humble, and attentive, a bishop who emphasized listening over lecturing and applied Vatican directives — including restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass — "prudently and non-disruptively," according to clergy cited by "Letters from Leo."
Hicks himself has spoken warmly about Pope Leo, whom he met when the future pontiff, then Cardinal Robert Prevost, gave a 2024 talk at an Illinois parish.
"I walked away [from the talk] saying 'I learned something tonight.'"
"'I learned something about our faith. I learned something about our church,'" Hicks told WGN.
"And he did so in a way that was clear, concise, creative, and — finally — humble."
Hicks added that the then-Cardinal "takes more time to listen than to talk," praised him for not shying away from difficult issues, and said the Pope would lead "with the heart of a shepherd."
The two men also share unusually specific personal ties.
"We grew up literally in the same radius, in the same neighborhood together," Hicks said. "We played in the same parks, went swimming in the same pools, liked the same pizza places."
But there is one enduring Chicago divide: Hicks has described himself as a "die-hard" Chicago Cubs fan, while Pope Leo XIV is known to be a Chicago White Sox supporter — a detail Hicks has joked about, noting that his father insisted the family "stay Catholic and stay Cub fans."
As he prepares to take charge of an archdiocese serving 2.5 million Catholics across Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and seven surrounding counties, Hicks brings no manifesto, no media persona, and no appetite for ecclesial theatrics.
Instead, Pope Leo has chosen a formation-minded pastor shaped by Chicago parishes and Central American service — a bishop whose rise has been quiet, deliberate, and unmistakably intentional.
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