Statement from Bishop Douglas J. Lucia on Appointment of Archbishop Hicks

I join Catholics throughout the Diocese of Syracuse in welcoming to the Empire State, Archbishop-designate Ronald A. Hicks, as the new Metropolitan Archbishop of New York. Along with Bishop Robert J. Cunningham, our Bishop-emeritus, and the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Syracuse, I assure him of our best wishes and prayers in his new role.

As a diocesan family, we would like also to thank Timothy Cardinal Dolan for his years of service and leadership not only in the Archdiocese of New York, but also for his kind solicitude for the other dioceses of the New York ecclesiastical province and their bishops. Under his tenure as metropolitan archbishop, Cardinal Dolan was no stranger to central New York.  He installed Bishop Cunningham on May 26, 2009, as the Tenth Bishop of Syracuse; came to the Diocese for both its 125th Anniversary and the re-dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception after its renovation; ordained and installed me as the Eleventh Bishop of Syracuse on August 8, 2019; and addressed the diocesan Catholic Men’s Conference on March 25, 2023. We pray that his upcoming retirement will offer him the opportunity for rest, recreation, time with his family and friends, and renewal.

The Archbishop-designate and I have met one another through our work with the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in Washington, DC. In him, I find someone with the heart of a pastor who truly is at the service of the People of God. I look forward to his presence in the New York Province and further collaboration in serving the people in this portion of the Lord’s vineyard called New York State. 

May God give success to the work of Archbishop-designate Hicks in his new archdiocese. Let our prayer for him be the one found in the Church’s Morning Prayer for this day: “Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care” (Is 40:11). As his motto acclaims: Paz Y Bien – Peace and Good. May these words be true for him and all he is called to care for. Again, our congratulations to him on the occasion of today’s announcement.