David Laurin Ricken

infobox bishopstyles
name=David Laurin Ricken
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=Your Excellency
relstyle=Bishop
deathstyle=not applicable |

David Laurin Ricken (born November 9, 1952) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as the twelfth bishop of the Bishop of Green Bay, having previously served as Bishop of Cheyenne.cite journal|date=August 2008|title=Welcome, Most Reverend David L. Ricken|publisher=J.S. Paluch / Roman Catholic Diocese of Green Bay|accessdate=2008-08-28]

Early life

David Ricken was born to George William "Bill" Ricken (d. July 1, 1993) and Bertha (Davis) Ricken (d. August 20, 2001) in Dodge City, Kansas. He has two siblings: a brother, Mark, and a sister, Carol, who is presently principal of [http://stmarys.k12.wy.us/ St. Mary’s School] in Cheyenne, Wyoming. For his primary education, Ricken attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Grade School in Dodge City. He later attended St. Francis High School Seminary in Victoria, graduating in 1970. [ [http://www.gbdioc.org Welcome to the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay ] ]

Ricken did undergraduate studies in philosophy at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, Ohio and Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri, graduating from the latter institution in 1974. As a seminarian for the Diocese of Pueblo, he attended St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Indiana and the American College of the Immaculate Conception in Leuven, Belgium, obtaining a master's degree in theology in 1980 from the Catholic University of Leuven.

Priesthood

Ricken was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Arthur Tafoya on September 12, 1980, and then served as associate pastor of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pueblo until 1985. From 1985 to 1987, he was both parish administrator of Holy Rosary Church and Vice-Chancellor of the diocese. In 1987, he was sent to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, from where he earned a Licentiate of Canon Law in 1989.

Ricken, upon his return to the United States, was made diocesan Vocation Director and Vicar for Ministry Formation, as well as becoming diocesan Chancellor in 1992. In 1996, he was began work as an official of the Congregation for the Clergy in the Roman Curia, a position that he served until 1999.

Episcopate

On December 14, 1999, Ricken was appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Cheyenne by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on January 6, 2000 from John Paul II, with Archbishops Giovanni Re and Marcello Zago, OMI, serving as co-consecrators, in St. Peter's Basilica. Ricken later succeeded Hubert Joseph Hart as Bishop of Cheyenne on September 26, 2001, upon the latter's retirement. [ [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bricken.html Bishop David Laurin Ricken [Catholic-Hierarchy ] ]

Pope Benedict XVI named Ricken the twelfth Bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin, on July 9, 2008. Bishop Ricken was installed on August 28, 2008. [http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=8916117]

References

External links

* [http://www.dioceseofcheyenne.org Roman Catholic Diocese of Cheyenne]