Cardinal Timothy Dolan, former archbishop of New York, and his newly named successor, Bishop Ronald Hicks, held a press conference Dec. 18 in which the cardinal welcomed the incoming archbishop, and the newcomer expressed his gratitude to Pope Leo and his love for Jesus Christ.
In his remarks during the press conference, Cardinal Dolan called the archbishop-designate “immensely qualified.”
“The last week since I found out [about the appointment], I’ve gotten to know him, and I already love him and appreciate him and trust him,” the cardinal said. “Is there sadness in my heart? Sure, because I love the Archdiocese of New York. That sadness is mitigated by the gift that this new archbishop already is.”
Pope Leo appointed Bishop Hicks of the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois, to head the second-most-populous archdiocese in the nation Dec. 18.
Bishop Hicks is not widely known on the national stage, but his brother bishops speak well of his passion for pastoral care and his ability to run his diocese well. According to CBS News, Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, said that Bishop Hicks is an “adept administrator.”
Cardinal Dolan also wrote a letter, published by The Good News Room, to the faithful of the archdiocese. In it, he explained that Archbishop-designate Hicks will be formally installed as New York’s archbishop Feb. 6, 2026, at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Until then, Cardinal Dolan will serve as apostolic administrator.
“I am grateful to Pope Leo for appointing such a splendid priest and bishop to serve you, and have pledged to the archbishop-designate my fidelity and full cooperation, as he will now be my archbishop as well,” Cardinal Dolan wrote in his letter. He also said Bishop Hicks would be celebrating a special Mass in the afternoon of Dec. 18 with him in Saint Patrick's Cathedral.
Cardinal Dolan’s resignation marks the end of an era. As Joshua Mercer, vice president and co-founder of CatholicVote, explained in a Dec. 18 essay for CatholicVote, Cardinal Dolan has long been a staple of national media and defender of the faith’s role in the public square. Mercer called him “the unmistakable public face of American Catholicism,” describing him as “jovial in temperament, rigorous in conviction, and unapologetic in defending the Church’s moral and institutional freedom.”
Dennis Poust, executive director of the New York State Catholic Conference, released a statement on X, noting that the archbishop-designate is “known as a man of deep faith, strong intellect, and a pastoral love for those in his spiritual care.”
Poust also said the state’s Catholic conference looks forward to working with Archbishop-designate Hicks in his new role as president of the organization and to his guidance and leadership with the state’s other bishops in “setting the public policy priorities of the Church.”
He also expressed the conference’s “heartfelt gratitude and love” for Cardinal Dolan.
“The Church has had no better evangelist than Cardinal Dolan during his 16 years as Archbishop of New York. His joy is infectious, as is his abiding faith. His wit and his intellect are disarming in equal measure,” Poust stated. “As much as we have valued his pastoral leadership, we have appreciated the personal touch and affection he always brought to all his individual dealings with us. We have been so blessed. Cardinal Dolan has so much more to give to the Church, and we wish him a long, healthy, and fruitful retirement.”
During the Dec. 18 press conference, Bishop Hicks said that he was humbled by the appointment to the archbishopric. He also expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for the appointment and spoke about the bishops who helped form him.
“In my 31 years of priesthood, I was formed in Chicago in the Archdiocese of Chicago under the care of Cardinal Bernadine, through the witness of Cardinal George, and by the mentorship of Cardinal Cupich,” he said. “For all of them I’m deeply grateful.”
During the press conference, Bishop Hicks said that he is aware that many are speculating about his identity and motivations.
“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,” he said. “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. And with great gratitude, I ask God to bless us today and always.”