02/06/2026
An honor to be invited to Vespers at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, to pause, pray, and sit in the beauty of the Church at a meaningful moment of transition. The music, the ritual, the stillness of the Cathedral; it all slowed you down in the best way.
Homily was offered in both English and Spanish by Archbishop Ronald Aldon Hicks, and that alone said so much. In English, he spoke about learning to listen—really listen—for God in the quiet, and how leadership in the Church is not about position but about service and humility. In Spanish, he leaned into acompañamiento, walking with people, especially those who feel unseen or overwhelmed. Prayer, he reminded us, is not passive. It forms us and then sends us back out into the world differently. He served 5 yrs in El Salvador.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
That sense of stillness, of trust, was present throughout the evening.
Archbishop Hicks brings a powerful life story with him, parish priest, diocesan leader, missionary work in Central and South America, years spent caring for vulnerable children, and most recently serving as Bishop of Joliet. There’s a groundedness about him that feels pastoral and real.
His chosen words, “Paz y bien”, Peace and all good, come from St. Francis of Assisi. Not peace as avoidance, but peace as reconciliation, humility, and care for others. Peace that does something.
Even the symbols tell a story: water and Lake Michigan from his hometown, rosemary honoring St. Oscar Romero, a sword and quill pointing to courage and the Word, a heart recalling years of service to orphaned children, and lilies tied to his years forming future priests.
Walking out of the Cathedral, I kept thinking how much we need that kind of leadership right now.
Paz y bien.
