Cardinal Timothy Dolan transferred the reins of power over the New York Archdiocese on Friday — and it started with three knocks on the door of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

New Archbishop Ronald Hicks, 58, showed up about 3 minutes early outside the famed Manhattan cathedral’s massive bronze entry dressed in traditional red, gold and white vestments as he prepared to take over one of America’s largest groups of Roman Catholics.

At 2 p.m., he knocked on one of the cathedral doors three times with a small gold-colored tack hammer and was invited inside,  where he was immediately greeted by Dolan.

The quirky ritual  signified him being welcomed officially into his new role leading the archdiocese.
Onlookers were thrilled to see Hicks — the archdiocese’s first new leader since 2009.

“Honestly, I’m just a huge fan,’’ said Alex Barnes, 37, one of several hundred people standing outside the packed cathedral before the ceremony.

“I love what the guy stands for. I think he’s really going to help people fall back in love with the church, getting back to core Catholic values,” Barnes said.

“It’s not very often you get to witness a new archbishop on their first day! I wish I was inside but this is still better than watching at home.”

Hicks, who grew up just blocks from Pope Leo XIV in Illinois, spent five years administering to the poor and overseeing an orphanage in El Salvador before becoming a bishop in the Chicago area and moving on to New York.

The archbishop has said he plans to make evangelizing, or spreading the word of Christianity, a priority in New York —  but he also didn’t seem to shy away Friday from the political issue of US immigration, which has been roiled by violent protests amid a federal crackdown.

Hicks is fluent in Spanish, and significant parts of Friday’s Mass involved the language  — from the first reading to songs to his own homily.

Hicks said in his speech from the pulpit that he is following the pope’s lead in reminding the world that the Church “upholds human dignity in  every way possible’’ and that the Church “takes care of the poor and vulnerable.’’

He told reporters Thursday, “My message is, how do we treat each other with respect?

“How simply do we see each other as brothers and sisters and use that as a foundation for everything else?”

He said he hasn’t yet talked to Muslim New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani but that he hopes to.

“What I’d like to do as archbishop is understand that in politics, in government, there are going to be things that we disagree on, but I’d also like to make sure we pay attention to what are those things we can work on together for the common good,” Hicks said at the time.

Mamdani did not appear to be at Friday’s ceremony, a significant milestone for many of his constituents.

It was not on his public schedule, and City Hall did not respond to a Post request for comment.

Friday’s ceremony was full of tradition, including the reading of the papal declaration announcing Hicks’ appointment in front of the cadre of fellow bishops decked out in their religious finest.

Hicks was given a special wooden crucifix, too, after entering the church.

There were plenty of other personal touches, as well.

Hicks gave a shout-out from the altar to his parents,  who he said were watching the ceremony live from home.

Relatives brought up “the gifts’’ before Communion, including his brother and his wife and a cousin and her husband.

Dolan received a standing ovation from the crowd, including from Hicks, at the start.

It also was announced that it was Dolan’s birthday — he turned 76 on Friday — and the crowd began signing an impromptu “Happy Birthday.’’

The archdiocese includes Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island as well as parts north of the city — and with an estimated 2.5 million Catholics, is among the largest in the country.

A man among the throngs outside St. Pat’s held  up   a sign that read, “Hicks: Sex Abuse No. 1 issue.’’ He declined comment.

Before Dolan left the position,  he inked a $300 million settlement involving sex-abuse victims of clergy in the archdiocese, and Hicks will now have to oversee its implementation.  

Otherwise, the day was unmarred by controversy.

“I’m very excited to see it so close and not on TV or online,’’ said Alice Romero, a 40-year-old tourist from Australia as she waited outside the cathedral to catch a glimpse of Hicks heading inside.

-Additional reporting by Craig McCarthy