Pope Leo XIV has chosen Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, to succeed Cardinal Timothy Dolan as archbishop of New York.
Dolan, who submitted his resignation earlier this year, was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
The Vatican announced Thursday morning that Pope Leo had officially accepted his resignation.
Pope Leo and Hicks, 58, have similar backgrounds
Both men were born and raised in suburban Chicago. Hicks was born in Harvey and raised in South Holland.
The two also speak fluent Spanish after ministering to the poor in South America and Central America.
Hicks graduated from seminary in 1985 and studied philosophy at Loyola University Chicago. He received his master’s degree in divinity at the University of St. Mary of the Lake. He was ordained in 1994.
Hicks moved from Chicago to El Salvador in 2005. While there, he served for five years as regional director of an organization who cared for thousands of orphaned and abandoned children.
In 2020, Hicks was named bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois.
Dolan’s resignation did not come as a surprise as he turned 75 in February.
Upon turning 75, he was required to submit his resignation to the Vatican.
At the time he submitted his resignation, Dolan guessed he would remain for about six to eight months while the Pope appointed his successor.
Dolan has served as archbishop of New York since 2009. For the last 16 years, Dolan has been a prominent and leading voice for Catholicism in the United States.
He led the Archdiocese through the COVID-19 pandemic and difficult decisions, such as selling assets to fund a settlement for victims of sex abuse by priests.
