Archbishop Ronald Hicks and Cardinal Timothy Dolan attended Tuesday morning’s State of the New York Police Department (NYPD) address, where the latter was welcomed as the force’s new co-chief chaplain, along with Reverend A.R. Bernard of Brooklyn’s Christian Cultural Center. 

Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch announced the appointments on Monday in a statement. Speaking at Tuesday’s event, the commissioner said, “I want to thank some of our esteemed faith leaders here today, especially Cardinal Dolan and Reverend A.R. Bernard, and I want to welcome Archbishop Ronald Hicks to our great city. Archbishop, I am going to answer a few questions I imagine are on your mind, but you are probably too much of a gentleman to ask. Yes, as New Yorkers, we are as strange as we seem, and no, we are not all conscious of it.” 

The role of faith in justice 

Referring to the Hebrew word “tzadik,” a person of righteousness, Tisch said, “In the Jewish tradition, it means a righteous person—someone whose life embodies the moral clarity, compassion, and wisdom that our officers rely on in their hardest moments. And I’ll admit, the idea came to me in an unexpected place while I was sitting at Mass. Don’t tell my rabbi! What followed was extraordinary. Not just one, but two leaders answered that call. These two men need no introduction, because for decades they have shaped the spiritual life of this city through leadership that reaches far beyond their congregations and their pulpits. 

“So today, it is my distinct honor to announce that the co-chief chaplains of the New York City Police Department will be Cardinal Timothy Dolan and Reverend A.R. Bernard. They will be installed at a ceremony at One Police Plaza on February 24. I hope to see many of you there, and their decision to serve this department speaks to something enduring between faith and policing, and to the place this role has long held in the lives of the men and women who wear the shield. Cardinal Dolan, Reverend Bernard, would you please stand, and will everyone join me in welcoming them to the New York City Police Department.” 

‘Any invitation to serve, a good priest jumps up to’ 

Archbishop Hicks succeeded Cardinal Dolan at a February 6 installation Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 

In an interview after the event, Cardinal Dolan told Buenas Noticias what it means to him to be a chief chaplain of the NYPD. “Everything! I love the cops. I love this city. Any invitation to serve, a good priest jumps up to.” 

Speaking with Buenas Noticias after the event, Archbishop Hicks reacted to his first NYPD event in Spanish: “This is my first event here with the police and all the government officials. It is a pleasure to meet you and recognize the good work you are doing, and to seek ways to collaborate and grow in a society that is fair and peaceful for all.”