His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Richard Brendan Higgins
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus for the Military Services, USA
Titular Bishop of Casae Calanae
Higgins in 2013
ArchdioceseMilitary Services, USA
AppointedMay 7, 2004
InstalledJuly 3, 2004
RetiredJanuary 2, 2020
Other post(s)Titular Bishop of Casae Calanae
Orders
OrdinationMarch 9, 1968
ConsecrationJuly 3, 2004
by Edwin Frederick O'Brien, Howard James Hubbard, and William Weigand
Personal details
Born (1944-02-22) February 22, 1944
Longford, County Longford, Ireland
MottoEcce ego mitte me
(Here am I, send me)
Styles of
Richard Brendan Higgins
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Richard Brendan Higgins KC*HS, USAF (ret)[1] (born February 22, 1944) is an Irish-born American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. Higgins served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA from 2004 to 2020.

Biography

Early life

Higgins was born on February 22, 1944, in Longford, County Longford, Ireland. He studied for the priesthood at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome, attending the Pontifical Lateran University.[2]

Priesthood

On March 9, 1968, Higgins was ordained a priest by Archbishop Luigi Poggi for the Diocese of Sacramento at the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.[2] [3]After arriving in California, Higgins served pastoral assignments in Roseville, and Grass Valley.[2]

In September 1974, Higgins joined the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps. His assignments as chaplain included:

Higgins's postings also included the Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery, Alabama, the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe in at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, and Headquarters Pacific Air Forces in Honolulu, Hawaii.[2] While serving in the USAF, Higgins was awarded an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and several flight instructor certificates.[2]

In 1997, Pope John Paul II named Higgins an honorary prelate of his holiness, with the title of monsignor.[2]

Auxiliary Bishop of the Military Services, USA

On May 7, 2004, John Paul II appointed Higgins as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA and as titular bishop of Casae Calanae. He was consecrated on July 3, 2004, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. His principal consecrator was Archbishop Edwin O'Brien; his co-consecrators were Bishop Howard Hubbard and Bishop William Weigand.[2][3]

On September 1, 2004, Higgins retired from the US Air Force with the rank of colonel. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster and the Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaf clusters.[2]

Retirement

On January 2, 2020, Pope Francis accepted Higgins's resignation as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA, which he submitted upon reaching the age of 75 as required by canon law.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Most Rev. Richard B. Higgins, S.T.L., D.D."; Archdiocese for the Military Services (2005); url accessed March 21, 2007
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Bishop Higgins". Archdiocese for the Military, USA. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Bishop Richard Brendan Higgins [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Richard Higgins of the Military Services". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
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