Pope Leo appoints US bishops’ migration chair to lead Illinois diocese

Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria, Texas, as bishop of Joliet, Illinois, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced Sept. 17.

Bishop Cahill will succeed Archbishop Ronald Hicks, who led the Diocese of Joliet until December 2025, when Pope Leo appointed him archbishop of New York. Joliet Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Spies has overseen the diocese as apostolic administrator during the vacancy. According to the Joliet diocese, Bishop Cahill’s installation Mass will be scheduled for November.

In a Sept. 17 press release from the Archdiocese of New York, Archbishop Hicks called his successor “a wonderful gift” to Joliet, saying he has known Bishop Cahill for eight years.

“He is a man of deep faith, with the heart of a pastor who walks with those on the margins, a contagious enthusiasm, and a true love for Jesus,” Archbishop Hicks said. “His bilingual gifts, especially his fluency in Spanish, will serve the diocese beautifully.”

A Florida native who grew up in Houston, Bishop Cahill was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in 1990, according to his biography.

Before becoming a bishop, he served in parish ministry and helped form future priests at St. Mary Seminary. He has led the Diocese of Victoria since 2015 and currently chairs the USCCB Committee on Migration.

The Joliet diocese covers 4,218 square miles in Illinois.