Archbishop Ronald Hicks served as principal celebrant and homilist at a Mass for administrators and staff members of the Archdiocese of New York, who crossed East 51st Street to St. Patrick’s Cathedral for a special 10 a.m. liturgy on Wednesday, June 17.

During the homily, Archbishop Hicks spoke of December 2025, when he learned via telephone from then-Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Cardinal Christophe Pierre that Pope Leo XIV had appointed him archbishop of New York, and a subsequent congratulatory phone call from his predecessor, Cardinal Timothy Dolan. He then told the staff about his upbringing in a loving Chicago-area home not far from where Pope Leo was raised, his all-Catholic education, and his rise in the Church hierarchy in Chicago and Joliet since his ordination to the priesthood in 1994.

He described himself as an introvert who prefers to lead by highlighting “the good of our world and our Church,” and said he tries to listen more than he talks.

“A Church that’s on mission is going to take care of the poor and the vulnerable. A Church on mission defends, respects, and upholds life from conception until natural death,” he said. “We help people’s hearts be connected to the heart of Jesus…You work for the Church, you are disciples, we are in this together. I will continue to pray for you today, tomorrow, and all the days of my life.”

Auxiliary Bishop Edmund Whalen was among the concelebrants. The Mass was followed by a reception at headquarters on Madison Avenue.

The Archdiocese of New York provides pastoral and spiritual care to 2.5 million Catholics in nearly 300 parishes, from the heart of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan to mission-driven parish communities throughout the Hudson Valley. The archdiocese encompasses Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and seven upper counties: Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester.