His Excellency Ronald Aldon Hicks, Archbishop of New York
Ronald Hicks was named Archbishop of New York by Pope Leo XIV on December 18, 2025. He had served as Bishop of Joliet, appointed there by Pope Francis on July 17, 2020. He was installed at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on February 6, 2026.
Archbishop Ronald Aldon Hicks was born on August 4, 1967, in Harvey, Illinois, to Ronald and Roselee Hicks. He has a younger brother, Rick. He grew up in South Holland, Illinois, where he attended St. Jude the Apostle Parish and grade school.
He graduated from Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in 1985. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Niles College of Loyola University, Chicago, in 1989, and both his Master of Divinity degree in 1994 and his Doctor of Ministry degree in 2003 from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois.
Archbishop Hicks was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21, 1994. He served as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 1996 and at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, Illinois, from 1996 to 1999. From 1999 to 2005, he lived and ministered at St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago as the dean of formation.
In July 2005, with permission from Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop Hicks moved from Chicago to El Salvador to begin his five-year term as regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) in Central America. NPH is a home dedicated to caring for more than 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries.
From 2010 to 2014, Archbishop Hicks served as the dean of formation at Mundelein Seminary. During that time, he assisted with weekend Masses at St. Jerome Parish in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Archbishop Hicks was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Blase Cupich on January 1, 2015. On September 17, 2018, he was ordained an auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.
Archbishop Hicks serves on the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and as the USCCB liaison to the Association of Ongoing Formation of Priests and the National Association of Diaconate Directors. He has also been appointed to the USCCB’s Charter Review Workgroup. He also serves on the board of the Catholic Extension Society and the Mundelein Seminary Advisory Board.
Chief Executive Officer, J. Antonio Fernández
J. Antonio Fernández currently serves as President and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, one of the nation’s largest and most impactful networks of social services. In this role, he leads programs that support hundreds of thousands of individuals and families across the region, addressing critical needs with compassion, dignity, and efficiency.
Prior to his leadership in New York, Mr. Fernández served from 2013 as President and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. There, he oversaw a period of significant growth, expanding the number of programs from 17 to more than 50 and quadrupling the organization’s annual budget. His leadership also encompassed affiliated agencies including the Guadalupe Community Center, Seton Home, St. PJ’s Children’s Home, and San Antonio Birth Doulas, making Catholic Charities the largest Catholic social services agency in the city.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Fernández held the position of Senior Vice President of Operations at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the largest Catholic Charities organization in the country. He was responsible for the leadership and operations of a wide range of social service programs, including oversight of facilities and infrastructure.
Mr. Fernández’s national leadership includes service on the Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities USA, where he currently chairs the Latino Advisory Council and serves on the Development Committee. He is also active with several other organizations, including serving on the Finance and Development Committees of Legatus, the Knights of Columbus, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and the CVS Health Faith-Based and Business Leaders Advisory Council. He also participates in Cabinet Meetings convened by His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
Mr. Fernández holds a Master of Business Administration, a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. He is a certified nonprofit executive and a licensed Professional Counselor.
He is married to Tanya Fernández, and they have a daughter, Elis Fernández, who attends Dominican Academy.
Senior Management
J. Antonio Fernández
Chief Executive Officer
Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, Ph.D
Executive Director Emeritus
Kelly Agnew-Barajas, MSW
Co-Director Immigrant and Refugee Services Division, Catholic Charities Community Services
Marion D. Boteju
Corporate Secretary and Chief of Staff
Emily Chau, MPA, MSL
Senior Director, Development and Planned Giving
Reverend Eric Cruz, MPA
Catholic Charities Director of Bronx Services
Philip Dorian, MBA
Senior Director for Federation Advancement
Lisa M. Flores
Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities Community Services
Neil P. Flynn
Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Joy Jasper, MS
Director, Human Resources, Catholic Charities Community Services
Andrea Jordan, Ed.D
Chief Program Officer, Catholic Charities Community Services
Sheila Lennon
Senior Director, Development and Events
Talia Bernal Lockspeiser, MSW
Associate Executive Director
Margaret Martin, JD
Co-Director Immigrant and Refugee Services Division, Catholic Charities Community Services
Anna McLeod, JD
Senior Director, Development and Institutional Funding
Lakisha Morris, MPA
Director, Food Security & Housing Stability, Catholic Charities Community Services
Harold Moss, LMSW, MA
Director, Beacon of Hope, Catholic Charities Community Services
Peggy O’Neill
Chief Advancement Officer
Seth Peloso, M. Ed.
Director of Catholic Youth Organization
Kerry Price
Chief Quality Officer, Catholic Charities Community Services
Michele Rodriguez, LMSW
Director, Neighborhood Centers, Catholic Charities Community Services
Eddie Silverio
Director, Youth Services, Catholic Charities Community Services
Beatriz Diaz Taveras
Director of Public and Community Engagement