New York City welcomes a new archbishop on February 6, and NY1 television station went to St. John’s University for a Vincentian perspective.
Last year, Cardinal Timothy Dolan submitted his resignation letter upon turning 75 years old. Pope Leo XIV then accepted the resignation and appointed Archbishop Ronald Hicks.
Fr. Luis Romero, CM, vocation director for the Eastern Province, spoke with the channel’s Nia Clark. He joined chorus of New Yorkers excited with anticipation for the new leadership for America’s second-largest diocese that serves almost 3 million Catholics.
Like Pope Leo, Archbishop Hicks comes from the Midwest and has ministered in Latin America, including El Salvador. That’s Fr. Luis’ home country, and his hopefulness for the new leadership comes from the Archbishop’s deep experience in ministry. Here, he also sees a parallel between this work and the Vincentian Charism to serve the poor and marginalized.
“To have an orphanage, kids in Latin America and in El Salvador has to do with poverty,” Fr. Luis said. “When you serve people, it’s like getting into the reality of the people, knowing where they suffer, being there to help them, and bring the Good News.”
Fr. Luis told Clark that he, too, would like to have the same experience as Archbishop Hicks and return to El Salvador for ministry.
“It’s my dream.”