Richard Brendan Higgins

Richard Brendan Higgins KC*HS, USAF (ret) is an Irish-born American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. Higgins served as an auxiliary bishop of the Roman [Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA|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.

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. After arriving in California, Higgins served pastoral assignments in Roseville and Grass Valley.
In September 1974, Higgins joined the United States Air Force Chaplain Corps. His assignments as chaplain included:

Lowry Air Force Base in Denver Colorado
Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland
Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, Texas
Bitburg Air Base in Bitburg, Germany
Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana
Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery Alabama
Royal Air Force Lakenheath in Lakenheath, United Kingdom
Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nevada
Pope Air Force Base in Fayetteville, North Carolina

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. While serving in the USAF, Higgins was awarded an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate and several flight instructor certificates.
In 1997, Pope John Paul II named Higgins an honorary prelate of his holiness, with the title of monsignor.

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 Bishops Howard Hubbard and William Weigand.
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.

Retirement

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