The newly named archbishop of the Archdiocese of New York, Ronald Hicks, kicked off his inaugural Easter season by distributing food to New Yorkers in Washington Heights, Thursday.
Photo by Sadie Brown
Archbishop Ronald Hicks joined Catholic Charities for a food distribution on Holy Thursday in Washington Heights, marking his first Easter season as the spiritual leader of 2.8 million Catholic New Yorkers.
The distribution served around 450 families, some of whom had been waiting outside since 6 a.m. April. They took home fresh produce like carrots, onions and plantains along with protein sources like chicken and eggs and canned goods from Goya Foods.
Hicks, who became leader of the Archdiocese of New York in February, said that Holy Thursday represented a day of service, commemorating the story of the Last Supper, where Christ was said to wash the feet of his disciples.
“ What does it mean to wash feet?” Hicks said. “That we actually love one another, we serve one another. We meet, we see the face of God in each other, and this is happening live right now, right here.”
Hicks then joined volunteers filling grocery carts with food, embracing the New Yorkers who came through the line, towing grocery carts and reusable bags.
Volunteers from Catholic Charities distributed food on Thursday in Washington Heights ahead of the Easter holiday. Photo: Sadie Brown
The Chicag- area native was appointed to lead the Archdiocese of New York by Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, in December 2025 following the mandatory retirement of Cardinal Timothy Dolan at age 75. Hicks officially took the reins on Feb. 6, 2026.
The Easter season promises to put the new archbishop through his paces. His appointment parallels a more progressive shift in leadership, not just for NYC’s Catholic community, but the city as a whole.
The new archbishop spoke Spanish to Washington Heights neighbors. In NYC, around 20% of the population identifies as Catholic, according to a Pew Research poll, and around half the population also speaks Spanish, according to census data compiled from the American Community Survey.
Hicks told amNewYork that regardless of race, religion or immigration status, the church will continue to serve New Yorkers in need.
“With everything that is happening, treat people with dignity, see the face of God in each other and at the end of the day–the respect that we build on is that we are brothers and sisters to each other,” Hicks said.
Hicks told New York Times reporter Maya King that he had been in touch with Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The archbishop said the mayor attended a St. Patrick’s Day Mass and luncheon at Hicks’ home, along with a private sit-down.
“It was a meeting of getting to know each other and of goodwill and trying to say, if there are things that we can agree on and look to cooperate or collaborate, let’s look for those opportunities for the common good,” the archbishop said.
The new mayor and the Catholic Church seem to share at least one ideal for the common good—feeding hungry New Yorkers.
Goya Foods donated 300,000 lbs. of food to the Easter distribution. However, the food assistance program is a weekly staple of Catholic Charities’ services, according to the Director of Food and Housing, Lakisha Morris.
Thursday’s food distribution by Catholic Charities served around 450 families, the organization said. Photo: Sadie Brown
The line for food and services stretched around the block from 165th Street around Audubon Avenue and back up 166th Street. Catholic Charities NY CEO, Antonio Fernandez, told amNY that the organization must offer social services in addition to the food pantry, because it wants to propel people out of poverty–and can’t afford to supply a growing number of families with groceries.
But with demand for food assistance rising, Catholic Charities, New York City, and its partners face an uncertain road ahead.
“ We know that we’re gonna have more people in the food pantry,” Fernandez said. “So now we rely on companies like Goya to help us with food so we can provide for this because we don’t have the money to do everything we can. There’s not gonna be enough food today for everybody.”
Dining and Cooking