MIDTOWN MANHATTAN — When Archbishop Ronald Hicks is installed in the Archdiocese of New York at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Feb. 6, it will mark the second time this year that a native of a Chicago suburb has been chosen to hold a prominent position in the Catholic Church.
Archbishop Hicks’ hometown of Holland is close to Pope Leo XIV’s hometown of Dolton, “and our houses are literally 14 blocks apart,” the newly appointed leader of the archdiocese said at his first press conference at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Dec. 18.
While the two men didn’t know each other growing up, they have a lot in common. “We would have played baseball in the same parks, gone swimming in the same public pools, and even shared a famous pizza place that’s our favorite,” Archbishop Hicks said.
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Speaking of baseball, he made it clear that while New York is his new home, he is a loyal Chicago Cubs fan. He prefaced his remarks by joking, “Let me begin with potentially my first controversial statement. I am a Cubs fan!”
However, he quickly added, “I am going to start rooting for the New York sports teams.”
Archbishop Hicks also confessed a fondness for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, although he said he has developed a taste for New York-style thin-crust slices.
“I already love the pizza. I love it a lot,” he said.
His heart is filled with gratitude for his new appointment, he said.
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“My desire is to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and do the will of God, serving with a shepherd’s heart,” Archbishop Hicks said.
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As he becomes acquainted with his new home, he is looking forward to working with his fellow bishops in New York State, including Bishop Robert Brennan, whom he has met. “I look forward to getting to know him, all my brothers here, and doing it just in a great spirit of collaboration and unity,” he explained.
Archbishop Hicks said he enjoys meeting his fellow clergy and said he is often the first to introduce himself and extend a handshake.
At bishops’ conferences, for example, “I’m the type, if we’re in the lunch line, I stick my hand out and say, ‘Hi! I’m Ron Hicks. Who are you?’ I like getting to know them and collaborating with them,” he said. “I like people.”