Biography
Early life
Born on August 4, 1967, in Harvey, Illinois, Ronald Hicks grew up in South Holland, Illinois. He was attending St. Jude the Apostle School in South Holland when he started considering the priesthood. Hicks later attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in Chicago, graduating in 1985. After his graduation, Hicks spent a year volunteering for the organization Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (Our Little Brothers) at one of their orphanages in Mexico. [1] He is of Irish, German, and Polish descent. [2]
After returning to Illinois, Hicks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Loyola University Chicago in 1989 and a Master of Divinity degree in 1994 from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. [3] [4]
Priesthood
Hicks was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago on May 21, 1994. [5]
After his ordination in 1994, the archdiocese assigned Hicks as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, for two years. He then served at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, Illinois, for three years. In 1999, Hicks was appointed as dean of formation at St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago. [1] Hicks received a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2003 from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. [4]
In 2005, Hicks moved to El Salvador to serve as a director for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, a system of orphanages in Latin America. [6] After five years in El Salvador, Hicks returned to Illinois. Cardinal Francis George then appointed Hicks in 2010 as dean of formation at Mundelein Seminary. On January 1, 2015, Archbishop Blase J. Cupich selected Hicks as vicar general for the archdiocese. [1] [4]
Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago
On July 3, 2018, Pope Francis appointed Hicks titular bishop of Munatiana and auxiliary bishop of Chicago. [4] [7] On September 17, 2018, Hicks was consecrated by Cardinal Cupich at Holy Name Cathedral, with Bishops Francis J. Kane and Bishop George J. Rassas serving as co-consecrators. [8]
Bishop of Joliet
On July 17, 2020, Francis named Hicks bishop of Joliet. [9] [10] He was installed in the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet on September 29, 2020; the congregation was limited to 20% of capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [3]
When interviewed after the election of Pope Leo XIV, Hicks described similarities between himself and Leo, saying "I recognize a lot of similarities between him and me. So we grew up literally in the same radius, in the same neighborhood together. We played in the same parks, went swimming in the same pools, liked the same pizza places to go to." [6]
Archbishop of New York
Pope Leo XIV named Hicks archbishop of New York on December 18, 2025. [11] His installation is scheduled for February 6, 2026. [12]
For the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Hicks is the chairman of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. [13] He is a board member of the Catholic Extension Society and the Mundelein Seminary Advisory Board. [13]
Hicks is a fan of the Chicago Cubs. [6]
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