Vatican appoints Bishop Ronald Hicks archbishop of New York, Dolan to serve as administrator

The Vatican on Thursday accepted Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s resignation as archbishop of New York and announced that Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, will become the archbishop’s successor. Hicks, 58, will be the fourteenth bishop and the eleventh archbishop to lead the Archdiocese of New York. Dolan submitted his mandatory retirement after turning 75 in February; Hicks is slated to take office on Feb. 6, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, will preside over the installation ceremony.

Dolan said at a news conference that while there is sadness in leaving the post, he has grown to trust Hicks and believes he will serve the archdiocese well. "The last week since I found out, I’ve gotten to know him and I already love him and appreciate him and trust him... Is there sadness in my heart? Sure. Because I love the archdiocese in New York. That sadness is mitigated by the gift that this new archbishop already is," Dolan said.

Hicks' background: Born in the southern suburbs of Chicago, he was ordained in 1994 for the Archdiocese of Chicago. After early pastoral assignments, he led seminary programs and spent five years in El Salvador as regional director for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, a Catholic charitable organization. He returned to Illinois in 2015 and served as vicar general of the Chicago archdiocese. Pope Francis named him auxiliary bishop in 2018 and he became bishop of Joliet in 2020. In the USCCB, Hicks chairs the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and sits on the Episcopal Advisory Board for the Catholic Leadership Institute.

"I would like to simply begin by expressing my heartfelt gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for this appointment," Hicks told reporters. "If you want to know the core of who I am and what I stand for, you should know this: I love Jesus with my mind, heart, and soul, and I strive to love my neighbor as myself. My desire is to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and to do the will of God, serving with a shepherd's heart," he added. "I trust, and I surrender my life and my will to God, and with great humility, I accept this appointment. I ask for your prayers. I ask for your support as we take these next steps together."

Responding to a question about immigration and New York’s Latino community, Hicks said he agrees with the USCCB’s recent statement on the issue, stressing the importance of both border security and treating migrants with dignity and due process.

The archbishop-designate has spoken warmly about his relationship with Pope Leo XIV, who grew up in the neighboring Chicago suburb of Dolton. Pope Leo XIV waves to attendees as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Dec. 17, 2025. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

The installation ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan, presided by Cardinal Christophe Pierre.