WASHINGTON— Pope Francis has appointed Reverends Ronald Hicks,
Robert Casey and Mark Bartosic as auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of
Chicago and has accepted the resignations of the Most Reverends George Rassas
and Francis Kane from the Office of Auxiliary Bishops of the same archdiocese.
Bishops Rassas and Kane have reached the retirement age for bishops of 75.

The resignations and appointments were publicized in Washington on
July 3, 2018, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United
States.

Reverend Ronald Hicks was born in Chicago, IL, on August 4,
1967. He is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and is currently serving as
Vicar General.

Father Hicks graduated from Quigley Seminary South in 1985 and four
years later received his B.A. in philosophy from Niles College of Loyola
University in Chicago in 1989. He also received his master of divinity degree
in 1994 and his doctor of ministry degree in 2003, both from the University of
St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL. He was ordained a priest on May 21, 1994
for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

As a priest, Father Hicks worked as associate pastor at Our Lady
of Mercy Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 1996 and then at St. Elizabeth Seton
Parish in Orland Hills, IL, from 1996 to 1999. From 1999-2005, he lived and
ministered at St. Joseph College Seminary as the Dean of Formation.

In July 2005 with permission from Francis Cardinal George, Father
Hicks moved to El Salvador to begin his five-year term as Regional Director of
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) in Central America. NPH is a home dedicated to
caring for over 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children in nine different
countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

From 2010-2014, Father Hicks served as the Dean of Formation at
Mundelein Seminary. During that time, he also assisted with Masses on the
weekend at St. Jerome Parish in Rogers Park.

Fr. Hicks was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of
Chicago by Cardinal Cupich on January l, 2015.1t has been his practice to
celebrate Mass in a different parish in the Archdiocese each weekend.

Reverend Robert G. Casey was born in Chicago, Il, on September 23,
1967. He is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and currently serving as
pastor of St. Bede the Venerable Church in Chicago.

Reverend Casey received his B.A. in English from Niles College of
Loyola University Chicago in 1989. He received his master of divinity degree in
1994 from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, IL. He was
ordained a priest in 1994 for the Archdiocese of Chicago.

As a priest, Father Casey was first assigned in 1994 as associate
pastor to St. Ita Parish in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. In 1998, Cardinal
George appointed Fr. Casey as the associate director of Casa Jesus while
serving in his last year at St. Ita. In 1999, Fr. Casey began his work with
Casa Jesus as its full-time director.

In 2003, after completing a 40-day pilgrimage to Santiago de
Compostela in Spain, Fr. Casey began his service as pastor of Our Lady of
Tepeyac in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. In 2008, Fr. Casey
co-founded Taller de José, a sponsored ministry of the Congregation of St.
Joseph that offers accompaniment to people in need.

In 2009, Fr. Casey became the pastor at St. Barbara Parish in
Brookfield, IL. In 2016, Fr. Casey became the pastor of St. Bede the Venerable
Parish in Chicago’s Scottsdale neighborhood.

Fr. Casey currently serves on the Placement Board of the
Archdiocese of Chicago, assisting with the assignment process of priests to
parishes. He has also been part of the Priest Steering Committee for Renew My
Church.

Reverend Mark Bartosic was born in Neehah, Wisconsin, on June 21,
196. He is a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago and is currently serving as
pastor of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Chicago and
director/chaplain of Kolbe House, Cook County Jail.

He was raised in Ashland, Ohio and attended St. Edward School and
public schools. In 1983 he received a bachelor of arts degree in theater from
Ashland University. He earned both a master of divinity degree in 1994 and a
licentiate in Sacred Theology in 2001 from the University of St. Mary of the
Lake.

He was ordained a priest by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin on May 21,
1994 at Holy Name Cathedral. His first assignment was as associate pastor of
St. Agnes of Bohemia from 1994-2000. From 2001-2016 he served as pastor of St.
Frances of Rome, and from 2009-2016 as pastor of Our Lady of Charity while
maintaining his responsibilities as pastor at St. Frances of Rome. Since 2016
he has served as pastor of Assumption BVM and director of the Kolbe House Jail
Ministry.

Bishop George Rassas was born on May 26, 1942 in Baltimore,
MD. He graduated from Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary (1961) in
Chicago, and then attended Niles College and the University of St. Mary of the
Lake, from where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. After serving
as a deacon at St. Thaddeus Church in Chicago for a year, he was ordained to
the priesthood by John Cardinal Cody on May 2, 1968. He earned a master’s
degree in counseling psychology from Loyola University in 1974 and a doctorate
in pastoral theology from St. Mary of the Lake in 1984. Rassas was pastor of
the Church of St. Mary in Lake Forest from 1990 to 2004, during which time he
also served as chairman of the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council from 1999 to
2002. In 2004, he became vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago. On
December 1, 2005, Rassas was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and Titular
Bishop of Reperi by Pope Benedict XVI.

Bishop Francis Kane was born on October 30, 1942 in Chicago and
was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Cody at St. Mary of the Lake
Seminary on May 14, 1969.

He then served as associate pastor at St. John Fisher Parish until
1975, and was also named associate director of Center for Pastoral Ministry in
1973. He was associate pastor at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Parish from 1975 to
1979, and director of the Office for the Ministry of Peace and Justice
(1979-1985) and of the Office of Evangelization and Christian Life (1983-1993).
He was director of Catholic Relief Services from 1982 to 1987. From 1993 to his
appointment as auxiliary bishop in 2003, Kane served as pastor of St. Joseph
Parish in Wilmette. On January 24, 2003, Kane was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of
Chicago and Titular Bishop of Sault Sainte Marie by Pope John Paul II. As an
auxiliary bishop, Kane also serves as Episcopal Vicar for Vicariate II, and the
Cardinal’s liaison for the Annual Catholic Appeal and for the Office for Lay
Ecclesial Ministry.

The Archdiocese of Chicago is comprised of 1,411 square miles in
the state of Illinois and has a total population of 5,943,689 of which
2,199,000 or 37 percent are Catholic.

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Pope
Francis, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, Bishop Ronald Hicks,
Bishop Robert Casey, Bishop Mark Bartosic, Bishop George Rassas, Bishop Francis
Kane, Archdiocese of Chicago.

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Media Contact:

Judy Keane

202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops