Auxiliary Bishop Richard B. Higgins Celebrates 50 Years as a Catholic Priest

Archbishop Broglio to assist at Mass for Bishop Higgins on Sunday, March 11, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the Most Rev. Richard B. Higgins celebrates the golden anniversary of his priestly ordination. Auxiliary Bishop Higgins, 74, was ordained a priest on March 9, 1968, in the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. He currently serves His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, as Episcopal Vicar for Veterans Affairs. In that role, Bishop Higgins is responsible for more than 210 Catholic chaplains in 153 VA Medical Centers throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam. Bishop Higgins also serves as the Bishop Protector for the eight-thousand members of the Catholic War Veterans of America and currently assists Archbishop Broglio in serving the installations in the Eastern Vicariate of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS).

Bishop Higgins was born Feb. 22, 1944, in Longford, Ireland. He is a graduate of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. Following his priestly ordination for the diocese of Sacramento, CA., Bishop Higgins served parish assignments in Roseville and Grass Valley. He entered the United States Air Force in September 1974 and served as a Catholic chaplain until his retirement in the grade of colonel in October 2004.

Bishop Higgins’ Air Force assignments included Lowry Air Force Base (AFB), Naval Air Station (NAS) KeflavikLaughlin AFB, Bitburg Air Base (GE), Malmstrom AFB, Air Command & Staff CollegeMaxwell AFB, Royal Air Force (RAF) LakenheathPope AFB, United States Air Force AcademyNellis AFB, Headquarters United States Air Forces Europe, and Headquarters Pacific Air Forces. Bishop Higgins is a graduate of Air Command and Staff College and Air War College. His many military decorations include the Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster and the Meritorious Service Medal with seven oak leave clusters.

Bishop Higgins was named a Prelate of Honor (Monsignor) in 1996. In April of 2004 he was named titular bishop of Casae Calanae and auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS) by His Holiness Saint John Paul II. He was ordained a bishop on July 3, 2004, in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., and assumed his present duties on Oct. 1, 2004.

Bishop Higgins is a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and several Flight Instructor Certificates. He is also a seasoned motorcyclist and rides a BMW R1100RT.

On Sunday, March 11, Archbishop Broglio will assist at a 4:00 p.m. (EST) Mass for Bishop Higgins at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

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