Richard Brendan Higgins

Richard Brendan Higgins KC*HS, USAF (ret) (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.

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 Bishop Howard Hubbard and Bishop 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 Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA, which he submitted upon reaching the age of 75 as required by canon law.