Pope Leo XIV has selected Bishop Aldon Ronald Hicks to assume leadership of the Archdiocese of New York, one of the most significant and populous positions within the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The 58-year-old prelate, who shares remarkable biographical parallels with the pontiff, will succeed the retiring Cardinal Timothy Dolan, 75, who has held the position for approximately 16 years.
Bishop Hicks, like Pope Leo, hails from the Chicago area—growing up in South Holland, just a short distance from the Pope’s childhood neighborhood in Dolton. Their spiritual journeys further converge through extensive service in Latin America. While Pope Leo dedicated two decades as a missionary in Peru, Hicks served at an orphanage in El Salvador from 2005 to 2010. Hicks was appointed Bishop of Joliet by Pope Francis in 2020.
The incoming archbishop has established himself as an outspoken advocate for immigrant rights, mirroring the Pope’s concerns. Last month, he joined fellow bishops in condemning the Trump administration’s large-scale immigration arrests and mass deportation agenda. In a recent joint-letter from U.S. bishops addressing immigrant struggles, Hicks emphasized the Church’s ‘enduring commitment to the Catholic social teaching of human dignity and a call for meaningful immigration reform.’
His appointment comes during a period of significant transition for the New York archdiocese. Cardinal Dolan recently announced the establishment of a $300 million fund to settle claims of clergy sexual abuse—a matter Archbishop-designate Hicks addressed directly. ‘As a church, we can never rest in our efforts to prevent abuse, to protect children and to care for survivors,’ Hicks stated at a news conference. ‘While this work is challenging, difficult, and painful, I hope it will continue to help in the areas of accountability, transparency and healing.’
Hicks will now depart his position in Joliet to lead approximately 2.5 million Catholics in the nation’s largest city from the ornate sanctuary of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. He has accepted the appointment with ‘an open heart,’ while Dolan characterized the selection as ‘an early Christmas gift’ for New Yorkers.