Early life

Born on August 4, 1967, in Harvey, Illinois, Ronald Hicks grew up in South Holland, Illinois. He was attending St. Jude the Apostle School in South Holland when he started considering the priesthood. Hicks later attended Quigley Preparatory Seminary South in Chicago, graduating in 1985. After his graduation, Hicks spent a year volunteering for the organization Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (Our Little Brothers) at one of their orphanages in Mexico.^[1]

After returning to Illinois, Hicks earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Loyola University Chicago in 1989 and a Master of Divinity degree in 1994 from the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.^[2][3]

Priesthood

Hicks was ordained a priest by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin for the Archdiocese of Chicago at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago on May 21, 1994.^[4]

After his ordination in 1994, the archdiocese assigned Hicks as an associate pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Chicago, Illinois, for two years. He then served at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, Illinois, for three years. In 1999, Hicks was appointed as dean of formation at St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago.^[1]Hicks received a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2003 from the University of St. Mary of the Lake.^[3]

In 2005, Hicks moved to El Salvador to serve as regional director for Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos facilities in Latin America. After five years in El Salvador, Hicks returned to Illinois. Cardinal Francis George then appointed Hicks in 2010 as dean of formation at Mundelein Seminary. On January 1, 2015, Archbishop Blase J. Cupich selected Hicks as vicar general for the archdiocese.^[1][3]

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago

On July 3, 2018, Pope Francis appointed Hicks as titular bishop of Munatiana and auxiliary bishop of Chicago.^[3][5] On September 17, 2018, Hicks was consecrated by Cardinal Cupich at Holy Name Cathedral, with Bishops Francis J. Kane and Bishop George J. Rassas serving as co-consecrators.^[6]

Bishop of Joliet

On July 17, 2020, Francis named Hicks as the bishop of Joliet.^[7][8] He was installed in the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet on September 29, 2020; the congregation was limited to 20% of capacity because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2]

For the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Hicks is a member of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.^[9] He is a board member of the Catholic Extension Society and the Mundelein Seminary Advisory Board.^[9]