Vatican Accepts Cardinal Timothy Dolan’s Resignation, Names Bishop Ronald Hicks as New Archbishop of New York
NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Vatican officially accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy Dolan as Archbishop of New York on December 18, 2025, and announced Bishop Ronald Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, as his successor. Bishop Hicks is set to formally take office on February 6, 2026, during a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral presided over by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Cardinal Dolan, who has led the Archdiocese of New York since 2009, submitted his mandatory resignation upon turning 75 earlier this year, in accordance with canon law. Until Bishop Hicks assumes his new role, Dolan will continue to serve as apostolic administrator, overseeing the archdiocese during this transitional period. Dolan’s tenure included participation in two papal conclaves, notably the election of Pope Francis in 2013 and most recently Pope Leo XIV in May 2025.
At a press conference following the announcement, Dolan expressed mixed emotions. “Is there sadness in my heart? Sure. Because I love the archdiocese in New York,” he said. “That sadness is mitigated by the gift that this new archbishop already is.”
Bishop Ronald Hicks, 58, grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1994. After early pastoral assignments, he took on leadership roles in seminaries and spent five years in El Salvador as regional director for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, a Catholic charitable organization dedicated to supporting vulnerable children.
Returning to Illinois in 2015, Hicks was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop in 2018, and he became bishop of the Diocese of Joliet in 2020. Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Hicks chairs the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations and serves on the Episcopal Advisory Board for the Catholic Leadership Institute.
In his first public remarks as archbishop-designate, Hicks said, “I love Jesus with my mind, heart, and soul, and I strive to love my neighbor as myself. My desire is to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and to do the will of God, serving with a shepherd’s heart.”
The Archdiocese of New York, one of the largest and most influential in the United States, has historically played a significant role in the Catholic Church’s presence in America. The appointment of Bishop Hicks as the fourteenth bishop and eleventh archbishop continues a lineage of leadership that shapes both spiritual and social dimensions of the city.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S., will preside over the installation ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, a landmark that serves as the mother church of the archdiocese. The event is highly anticipated by clergy and laity alike, marking a new chapter for the Catholic community in New York.
For more information on the Archdiocese of New York and its leadership, visit their official site at archny.org. Details on the USCCB and its committees can be found at usccb.org. The Vatican’s press office regularly updates news on appointments and church governance at vatican.va.
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