(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Pope Francis has named an auxiliary bishop from the Chicago archdiocese to lead the Diocese of Joliet.
Bishop Ron Hicks, 52, has been an auxiliary bishop for two years and has been vicar general, running the day-to-day operations of the Chicago Archdiocese for more than five years.
He grew up in South Holland and that his parents have lived for the past 25 years in Tinley Park.
"They’re delighted, not only that I’m going to be the bishop here. They’re very proud of their son, but they’re also very happy that I’m so close,” Hicks said in a video distributed by the Joliet Diocese.
Bishop Hicks says his brother is also very happy. His brother's wife is a teacher in the Joliet Diocese school system.
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Among Bishop Hicks’ previous assignments was running a home for abandoned and orphaned children in El Salvador for five years.
He says that, when he took the early morning call from the apostolic nuncio, the Pope's representative in the United States, he was asked if he knew where Joliet was. Hicks says he's very familiar with the city and the diocese.
The Joliet Diocese has more than 600,000 Catholics and 118 parishes.
Hicks was ordained a priest in 1994. He becomes the sixth bishop of that diocese and will be installed Sept. 29 at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus in Joliet.
He describes himself as having a "pastoral heart" and says he hopes to be someone who listens, respects, leads and guides.
He says he's praying for the people of the Joliet diocese and hopes they'll pray for him, too.