New York Archdiocese Installs Archbishop Ronald Hicks as New Leader of 2 Million Catholics
In a significant development, the New York Archdiocese has welcomed its new archbishop, Ronald Hicks, who will take over from outgoing Cardinal Timothy Dolan after nearly two decades at the helm. The ceremony, which marks a new era for Roman Catholics in and around the five boroughs, did not involve the traditional "white smoke" signal, but was marked by a sense of renewal and revitalization.
Hicks, 58, is an Illinois native who previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet before being chosen to succeed Dolan. In his first public statements since taking office, Hicks emphasized the importance of engaging with younger generations and reconnecting with those who have lost touch with their faith. "How do we pass our faith on to the next generation? How do we be a Church that is relevant, living, and beautiful, sharing our faith together?" he posed at a press conference.
Hicks' appointment was seen as a strategic move by Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope from Chicago, who chose him for his centrist approach and ability to connect with diverse communities. Hicks has lived in New York only sporadically, spending five years as a missionary in El Salvador and speaking fluent Spanish, which is expected to aid in his outreach efforts.
Critics have noted that maintaining unity will be an uphill battle given the polarized times. David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, warned that Hicks' centrist approach may face significant challenges. However, outgoing Cardinal Dolan praised Hicks as "immensely qualified" for his new role, pledging to cooperate fully with the new archbishop.
Hicks will be formally installed during a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Friday, where he led a prayer service on Thursday evening. The event marks an exciting new chapter in the New York Archdiocese and raises hopes for renewed relevance and vitality within the Catholic community.
In a significant development, the New York Archdiocese has welcomed its new archbishop, Ronald Hicks, who will take over from outgoing Cardinal Timothy Dolan after nearly two decades at the helm. The ceremony, which marks a new era for Roman Catholics in and around the five boroughs, did not involve the traditional "white smoke" signal, but was marked by a sense of renewal and revitalization.
Hicks, 58, is an Illinois native who previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Joliet before being chosen to succeed Dolan. In his first public statements since taking office, Hicks emphasized the importance of engaging with younger generations and reconnecting with those who have lost touch with their faith. "How do we pass our faith on to the next generation? How do we be a Church that is relevant, living, and beautiful, sharing our faith together?" he posed at a press conference.
Hicks' appointment was seen as a strategic move by Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope from Chicago, who chose him for his centrist approach and ability to connect with diverse communities. Hicks has lived in New York only sporadically, spending five years as a missionary in El Salvador and speaking fluent Spanish, which is expected to aid in his outreach efforts.
Critics have noted that maintaining unity will be an uphill battle given the polarized times. David Gibson, director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University, warned that Hicks' centrist approach may face significant challenges. However, outgoing Cardinal Dolan praised Hicks as "immensely qualified" for his new role, pledging to cooperate fully with the new archbishop.
Hicks will be formally installed during a mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Friday, where he led a prayer service on Thursday evening. The event marks an exciting new chapter in the New York Archdiocese and raises hopes for renewed relevance and vitality within the Catholic community.
im not really sure how the church is gonna connect with younger ppl, but if he's already fluent in spanish that's def a plus 
hope he can bring back some of that old-school warmth and make the church feel more relatable again 
gotta give it to pope leo XIV for makin' this move tho! 
I mean, it's been a while since we've had some fresh blood at the helm, and Ronald Hicks seems like he's gonna shake things up in a good way. He's got that whole "centrist approach" vibe going on, which is exactly what the Catholic community needs right now - someone who can bring people together without alienating anyone. I'm curious to see how he'll tackle the whole youth engagement thing... let's hope he doesn't just preach to the choir 
. The fact that Pope Leo XIV chose him for his centrist approach is interesting, like it's gonna be a mix of old and new vibes 
. I wonder how he'll tackle the unity thing though...it's not an easy task, especially with everything going on right now 
. Fingers crossed he can bring some positivity to the church! 
. centrist approach is cool and all, but how's he gonna balance between tradition and modernity? 
also, living in NYC full time is a big ask, esp since he's not from here 
️. can't wait for the installation mass tho, hope it goes smoothly 
. Don't know much about him yet, but his background in speaking fluent Spanish is super cool 
! Can't help but feel like we're gonna see more of a focus on community and reaching out to new people, which would be amazing 
so just saw this news about archbishop hicks... i think its cool that he's all about engaging with younger ppl & building connections w/ diverse communities. spanish is a huge plus too! 
but gotta wonder how things will play out given the polarized times... gotta respect the pope's pick tho, centrist approach can be really refreshing 
i mean, who wouldn't wanna be part of a community that's all about sharing love & faith together? 
can't wait 2 see what kind of impact Hicks will make in nyc! 
it's cool that Pope Leo XIV chose him for his centrist approach tho 
but we'll see how it plays out. some ppl might be skeptical about a new leader trying to bring everyone together 
I mean, it's easy to say how do we pass our faith on to the next gen and all that but has he actually got the experience to make it happen? 
i mean dont get me wrong, Hicks seems nice & all, but whats the point of havin a new archbishop? cant they jus make changes from within or somethin? like who cares bout the white smoke signal? its just an old tradition 
? And what's up with the "How do we pass our faith on to the next generation?" question? Sounds like something a middle schooler would ask 
. Can't the Pope just get some stats from Google Analytics or something 
?
. Hopefully, it won't all feel like a bunch of pomp and circumstance 
.
new archbishop ronald hicks is taking over the nyc archdiocese... i feel like good vibes r going 2 come outta this 
his approach 2 engage w/ younger gens & connect w/ people who r losin touch w/ their faith is exactly wut we need rn 
. He'll need to find a way to make church cool again, you know? Maybe involve more social justice stuff or something