Archbishop Ronald Hicks, who was installed as archbishop of New York in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral Feb. 6, said in his homily that under his leadership the archdiocese will focus on mission work and charity.
“Today in the Gospel, Jesus gives us the Great Commission,” Archbishop Hicks noted in his homily. “Go, and make disciples, baptize them in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And behold, God is with us always.”
“This is a call to be a missionary Church, not a country club,” he continued. “A club exists to serve its members. The Church, on the other hand, exists to go out and serve all people, on fire with faith, hope, and charity in the name of Jesus Christ. This is not a criticism, but an invitation to renew who we are and rediscover why the Church exists. To follow Jesus, who fed the hungry, healed those ill in body and spirit, rejected hatred and proclaimed love.”
The archbishop remarked that even though Chicago will always have a special place in his heart, he has come to love the Big Apple. He said he shares the sentiments of several famous songs about New York City, such as Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” and Cole Porter’s “I Happen to Like New York.”
New Yorkers should be aware of his devotion to others too, he remarked.
“I love Jesus,” he said. “I love the Church. And I love people.”
Archbishop Hicks urged New Yorkers to follow the Divine Commission.
“The Church exists to proclaim Jesus Christ and the Gospel to everyone, publicly and credibly, without fear, in every culture and circumstance,” he said.
He emphasized Christians’ responsibility to share the faith with all people.
"We are called to be a missionary church,” he said. “A church that catechizes, evangelizes, and puts our faith into action. A church made up of missionary disciples who go out and make disciples, passing the faith on from one generation to the next.”
Catholic social teaching includes taking care of the poor, the vulnerable, and creation, defending and respecting life from conception to natural death, he noted. He added that the Church must also promote healing for everybody for all it has wounded.
It must be a Church that “shows respect for all,” he said, “building unity across cultures and generations.”
Archbishop Hicks succeeds Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was archbishop of New York for 16 years.
Cardinal Dolan said of his successor last month, “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.”
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