Who is Ron Hicks, the Illinois bishop who could become next archbishop of New York?

Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News on Dec 17, 2025

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NEW YORK — Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, has reportedly been tapped to serve as the next archbishop of New York, replacing Cardinal Timothy Dolan after more than 15 years leading the nation’s second-largest archdiocese.

Pope Leo XIV is expected to appoint Hicks with an announcement as early as Thursday, sources with direct knowledge confirmed to The Pillar and Catholic network EWTN News.

Born on Aug. 4, 1967 in Harvey, Illinois, Hicks grew up in South Holland, the elder of his parents’ two sons. There, he attended Saint Jude the Apostle Parish and grade school, where he first considered whether he was called to the priesthood.

During the summer between sixth and seventh grade, Hicks spent a week at Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in Chicago. He eventually enrolled there and graduated in 1985.

Hicks spent the following year volunteering with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos — or Our Little Brothers — at one of their orphanages in Mexico. When he returned, Hicks attended Niles College of Loyola University, Chicago, graduating with a degree in philosophy in 1989, before earning both his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein.

On May 21, 1994, Hicks was ordained into the priesthood. He went on to serve at a variety of parishes across Illinois until 2005, when he moved to El Salvador. He served as director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos in Central America, helping to oversee care for more than 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries. He returned to Illinois five years later.

A protégé of Chicago’s progressive Cardinal Blase Cupich, Hicks also served as vicar general of the Chicago Archdiocese, starting in 2015. In September 2018, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop at Holy Name Cathedral.

In 2020, Pope Francis named Hicks as the sixth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Joliet.

His reported tenure as archbishop of New York could take on a different tone and energy than that of his predecessor, Dolan, who’s viewed to be a bit more conservative. Hicks, who grew up in the same neighborhood as Pope Leo XVI, has said he’s inspired by the pontiff and his commitment to issues like war, poverty and immigration, specifically social and economic justice, WGNTV reported.

Last month, he signed a unified “Special Message” on immigration via the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Deeply rooted in our Gospel tradition of loving our neighbor, this letter affirms our solidarity with all our brothers and sisters as it expresses our concerns, opposition and hopes with clarity and conviction,” he wrote. “It is grounded in the Church’s enduring commitment to the Catholic social teaching of human dignity and a call for meaningful immigration reform.”

Hicks’ stance on abortion appears to be aligned with most other Catholics, including Dolan. On Thursday he joined a number of other bishops from across Illinois who have thrown their support behind pro-life pregnancy centers, pushing back against a state law that requires them to refer women to abortion clinics should they request such information.

“The Church has always taught that human dignity extends to all people, from the smallest unborn children to the frailest elderly,” he said. “Illinois should not force Catholics to violate that belief. We trust the court to uphold our freedom to live and serve according to our faith.”

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