In a moment that blended faith, fandom, and a sense of cultural continuity, the first public remarks from the Archdiocese of New York’s newly appointed leader centered not only on doctrine or administration, but on baseball.
During a joint press conference aired live across several national broadcast networks, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan formally introduced Ronald A. Hicks, the former Bishop of Joliet, Illinois, as New York’s new archbishop. Dolan, smiling broadly, set a warm and personal tone.
“It has been a week since I came to know the 58-year-old,” Dolan said, “and I already love him and appreciate him and trust him.”
What followed was an opening statement that underscored the unexpected but undeniable cultural power of baseball, even at the highest levels of the Roman Catholic Church.
“Let me begin with potentially my first controversial statement,” Archbishop Hicks said, drawing laughter from the room. “I’m a Cubs fan. And I love deep dish pizza.”
He paused, then doubled down, again to laughter.
“That said, I want you to know that I am going to remain a loyal Cubs fan. However, I am going to start rooting for the New York sports teams, and I already love your pizza. I love it a lot.”
In another era, such remarks might have seemed out of place at a major ecclesiastical unveiling. But in this moment, shaped by the tone set from Rome under Pope Leo, they landed as intentional, human, and deeply relatable. In what other world would both the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the incoming shepherd of its largest American archdiocese find common cultural ground through baseball rivalries?
The only remotely “controversial” element of Hicks’ remarks – that he will remain loyal to the Chicago Cubs – hardly qualifies as scandal. If anything, it reinforced what fans already know: true baseball allegiance is lifelong. Even if the highest-ranking religious figure on the planet happens to be a staunch White Sox supporter, diehards remain diehards.
More than humor, the exchange revealed something deeper. Baseball, like faith, transcends boundaries. It is a shared language, one that unifies generations, neighborhoods, and identities across geography and ideology. In a city as complex and diverse as New York, that symbolism matters.
As Archbishop Hicks begins his tenure, his first words offered a signal: leadership can be serious without being distant, and tradition can coexist with cultural touchstones that bind people together.
In this case, the message was clear and unmistakably American.
Faith, fellowship, pizza, and baseball.
This one, indeed, feels blessed.
Photo Credit: Diocese of Joliet
