Richard Brendan Higgins

Higgins in the Chapel of Moody Air Force Base, 2013

Richard Brendan Higgins coat of arms

Richard Brendan Higgins (born February 22, 1944 in Longford , Ireland ) is an Irish-American Roman Catholic clergyman and auxiliary bishop emeritus in the American military ordinariate .

Life

Richard Brendan Higgins studied Philosophy and Catholic Theology in Ireland and at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome . He received the sacrament of ordination for the diocese of Sacramento on March 9, 1968 in the Lateran Basilica in Rome . Higgins graduated from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome with a degree in Catholic theology.

Higgins was vicar in Roseville , California and then in Grass Valley , California. In 1974 Richard Brendan Higgins began his service as a military chaplain in the United States Air Force . He has worked at the following locations: Lowry Air Force Base , Naval Air Station Keflavík , Laughlin Air Force Base , Bitburg Air Base , Malmstrom Air Force Base , Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base , RAF Lakenheath , Pope Air Force Base , Nellis Air Force Base , Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe and Headquarters Pacific Air Forces . Most recently, Higgins was a chaplain at the United States Air Force Academy . On March 7, 1997, Pope John Paul II awarded him the honorary title of Chaplain to His Holiness ( Monsignor ).

On May 7, 2004, Pope John Paul II appointed him titular bishop of Casae Calanae and appointed him auxiliary bishop in the US military ordinariate. The military archbishop of the United States of America , Archbishop Edwin Frederick O'Brien , gave him and with him the appointed Auxiliary Bishop W. Joseph Estabrook on July 3 of that year in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC , the Episcopal ordination ; Co- consecrators were the Bishop of Albany , Howard James Hubbard , and the Bishop of Sacramento, William Keith Weigand . He took office on October 1, 2004. Richard Brendan Higgins was Episcopal Vicar for the Veterans . He has the military rank of colonel .

Higgins graduated from Air Command and Staff College and Air War College . He acquired a commercial pilot license and a flight instructor license .

Pope Francis accepted his age-related resignation on January 2, 2020.

Honors

• Legionnaire of the Legion of Merit with an oak leaf
• Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leaves

Web links

• Entry to Richard Brendan Higgins on catholic-hierarchy.org
• Biography on the homepage of the US military ordinariate (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ AAS 89 (1997), p. 737.
2. ^ Nomina di Ausiliari dell'Ordinariato Militare degli Stati Uniti d'America. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office , May 7, 2004, accessed January 2, 2020 (Italian).  .
3. ^ Rinuncia del Vescovo Ausiliare dell'Ordinariato Militare per gli Stati Uniti d'America. In: Daily Bulletin. Holy See Press Office, January 2, 2020, accessed January 2, 2020 (Italian).