The original press release is available through the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Chicago, IL (July 3, 2018) – Today, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis accepted the resignations of Archdiocese of Chicago auxiliary bishops George J. Rassas and Francis J. Kane and has appointed three new auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Chicago — Fathers Mark A. Bartosic, Robert G. Casey and Ronald A. Hicks, all from the Mundelein Ordination Class of 1994. The Episcopal Ordination of the bishops-elect will take place at Holy Name Cathedral on September 17, 2018.
“All three bishops-elect have been committed and highly effective spiritual fathers and community leaders in their parishes and wider ministries. They have had significant influence thoughout the Archdiocese in both the Hispanic and Anglo communities, in prison outreach, seminary formation, and diocesan administration. It would be difficult to find three priests whose combined service to the Church spans a more diverse range of ministry,” said Father John Kartje, Rector of Mundelein Seminary. “The people of the Archdiocese of Chicago have been blessed for many years by the pastoring of Bishops Rassas and Kane and they will surely continue to be well led by our new auxiliary bishops.”
Bishops-elect Bartosic and Casey will serve as Episcopal Vicars once successors are named at their present parish assignments. Bishop-elect Hicks will remain in his role as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Bishop-elect Mark A. Bartosic was born in Neenah, Wisc., on June 21, 1961 to Joan and the late F. Dean Bartosic. He was raised in Ashland, Ohio where he attended St. Edward School and public schools. In 1983, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. 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/Mundelein Seminary.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin on May 21, 1994. His first assignment was as Associate Pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 2000. From 2001 to 2016, he served as pastor of St. Frances of Rome Parish in Cicero, Ill. and from 2009 to 2016, he served as Pastor of Our Lady of Charity Parish, also in Cicero, while maintaining his responsibilities as pastor at St. Frances of Rome Parish.
Since 2016, he has served as Pastor of Assumption BVM, in Chicago, and Director of the Kolbe House Jail Ministry.
Bishop-elect Robert Casey was born on September 23, 1967 in Evergreen Park, Ill., to Michael and the late Margaret Casey. He grew up in Alsip, Ill. where his family attended St. Terrence Parish. He attended Stony Creek Elementary School and Prairie Junior High School, both in Alsip, and graduated from Marist High School in Chicago in 1985. Fr. Casey received a Bachelor of Arts in English from Niles College of Loyola University Chicago in 1989. He received a Master of Divinity degree in 1994 from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.
Father Casey was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin on May 21, 1994. He 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 he was 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 Parish 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.
Nelly Lorenzo, Director of Instituto de Liderazgo Pastoral at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, commended Fr. Casey’s outreach to Hispanics, saying, “Father Casey and I had the opportunity to work together in an invitation made to us by the Instituto de Fe y Vida in California. For a week we were working with Hispanics young adults in a leadership project. I was able to realize at that time how Fr. Casey has a commitment to the Hispanic community and how important it is for him to train our leaders so that they can serve and transform our parish communities.”
In 2009, Fr. Casey became the pastor at St. Barbara Parish in Brookfield, Ill. and 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.
Bishop-elect Ronald A. Hicks was born on August 4, 1967 to Ron and Roselee Hicks. A native of Harvey, Ill., he grew up South Holland, Ill. and attended St. Jude the Apostle Parish and Grade School there. He graduated from Quigley Seminary South in Chicago in 1985 and received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Niles College of Loyola University Chicago in 1989. He also received his Master of Divinity degree in 1994 and his Doctor of Ministry degree in 2003 both from theUniversity of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary.
He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin on May 21, 1994. He worked as an Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 1996 and at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, Ill. from 1996 to 1999. From 1999 to 2005, he lived and ministered at St. Joseph College Seminary in Chicago as the Dean of Formation.
In July 2005, with permission from Cardinal Francis George, Fr. Hicks moved to El Salvador to begin his five-year term as Regional Director of Nuestros Pequeño Hermanos (NPH) in Central America. NPH is a ministry dedicated to caring for more 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children in nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
From 2010 to 2014. Fr. Hicks served as the Dean of Formation here at Mundelein Seminary. During that time, he also assisted with weekend Masses at St. Jerome Parish in Rogers Park.
“Bishop-elect Hicks contributed so much to Mundelein’s culture of priestly formation during his years here as the Dean of Formation. Many fine priests today in Chicago and throughout the country benefited greatly from his wisdom and compassionate guidance,” said Father Kartje.
Fr. Hicks was appointed Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Cupich on January 1, 2015. Since then, it has been his practice to celebrate Mass in a different parish in the Archdiocese each weekend.
We pray for these men as they prepare to be ordained as bishops and serve a larger population of Chicago Catholics.
