Vatican confirms resignation of Cardinal Dolan, appoints new Archbishop of New York

The Vatican on Thursday accepted Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s resignation and announced that Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, will become the next archbishop of New York. Hicks, 58, will succeed Dolan, who has led the archdiocese since 2009, according to a brief statement from the Holy See. Dolan will become the fourteenth bishop and the eleventh archbishop to lead the Archdiocese of New York. Dolan submitted his mandatory letter of retirement upon turning 75 in February, and the transition will unfold while he continues to oversee the archdiocese as apostolic administrator until Archbishop-designate Hicks formally takes office on Feb. 6, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Dolan’s resignation follows decades of leadership in New York, including the archdiocese’s role as one of the country’s largest Catholic sees. He has participated in multiple conclaves, including those that elected Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis. In remarks at a news conference, Dolan said he has grown to know Hicks and to feel both pride and sadness about the change in leadership. “The last week since I found out, I’ve gotten to know him [Hicks]. 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’s path to the U.S. church’s northeastern hub combines pastoral leadership with international relief work. He grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago and was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1994. After early pastoral assignments in the city, he moved into seminary leadership roles and spent five years in El Salvador as regional director for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, a Catholic charity. He returned to Illinois in 2015 and was named vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop in 2018, and he became bishop of the Joliet Diocese in 2020. In the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Hicks chairs the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and sits on the Episcopal Advisory Board for the Catholic Leadership Institute.

In his first public remarks as archbishop-designate, Hicks expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for the appointment and framed his mission in personal terms. “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. 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.”

Dolan’s farewell to the press highlighted the two men’s shared faith and commitment to New York’s Catholic community. Asked about the transition, Dolan spoke of his confidence in Hicks’s ability to lead the archdiocese into its next chapter. “I love the archdiocese in New York, but I have to tell you this: the gift that this new archbishop already is does give me peace,” he said.

Hicks has already signaled a measured approach to two issues that frequently arise in New York: immigration and pastoral care for migrant communities. When pressed about immigration policy, he said he aligns with the USCCB’s stance on border security paired with treating migrants with dignity and due process. He also noted the importance of building bridges with immigrant families in the archdiocese, many of whom anchor local Catholic parishes and schools.

Hicks has spoken warmly about his relationship with Pope Leo XIV, who grew up in the neighboring suburbs of Dolton, Illinois. The pope, Hicks noted, does not come across as a distant figure but as “a normal guy from a normal neighborhood we grew up in,” a description Hicks repeated when speaking with WGN Chicago. “We grew up literally in the same radius, in the same neighborhood together,” he said. “We played in the same parks, went swimming in the same pools, liked the same pizza places.”

The appointment of Hicks to the nation’s most prominent Catholic archdiocese marks a transitional moment for a church that continues to navigate a wide array of social and clerical challenges. Dolan, who has led the archdiocese since 2009, will hand over a see with decades of history and scrutiny, including its prominent role in New York civic and religious life. Hicks’s leadership is expected to emphasize both pastoral outreach and institutional renewal, as the archdiocese seeks to serve a diverse and densely populated region.

The installation ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, with Cardinal Christophe Pierre presiding as apostolic nuncio. Until that date, Dolan will remain as apostolic administrator, ensuring continuity in diocesan governance as the transition unfolds. The archdiocese’s leadership transition comes at a time of renewed attention to Catholic education, parish life, and outreach to immigrant communities in one of the country’s most dynamic urban centers.