Most Revered David Laurin Ricken D.D. J.C.L., Bishop of Cheyenne
2001-Present

Curriculum Vitae

David L. Ricken is the son of George William "Bill" Ricken and Bertha H. (Davis) Ricken. He was born on November 9, 1952 in Dodge City, Kansas. He is one of three children. His brother, Mark Alan Ricken, is retired. His sister, Carol A. Ricken, is Principal of St. Mary’s School in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Bill Ricken passed away on July 1, 1993 and Bertha Ricken passed away on August 20, 2001.

Father Ricken attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Grade School in Dodge City, Kansas and St. Francis Seminary High School in Victoria, Kansas where he graduated in 1970. He began his college studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum, Worthington, Ohio (1970-72) and graduated from Conception Seminary College, Conception, Missouri, in 1974 with a B.A. in Philosophy. His theological studies for the Diocese of Pueblo were taken at St. Meinrad School of Theology, St. Meinrad, Indiana (1976-77) and the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium (1977-80) where he received his S.T.B./M.A. degree and where he attended the American College for seminary formation.

David Ricken was ordained to the priesthood by the Bishop of Pueblo, Arthur N. Tafoya, on September 12, 1980 at La Junta Catholic Parish in southeast Colorado and was named the Associate Pastor to the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Pueblo where he served from 1980 to 1985. In the spring of 1985 he was named Administrator of Holy Rosary Parish in Pueblo as well as Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese, positions in which he served from 1985 to 1987.

In 1987 Bishop Tafoya assigned Father Ricken to graduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he received his Licentiate degree (J.C.L.) in Canon Law in 1989. Following studies, he returned to the Diocese of Pueblo as Vocation Director and Vicar for Ministry Formation and was additionally named Chancellor of the Diocese in 1992. Father Ricken was also appointed to assist in the Diocesan Tribunal. He served in these positions until October 1, 1996 when he was nominated to be an official of the Congregation for the Clergy at the Vatican where he served through December of 1999.

On January 6, 2000 David L. Ricken was ordained to the episcopacy for the Diocese of Cheyenne at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. The Mass of Welcome to the Diocese of Cheyenne took place on February 11, 2000 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. On September 26, 2001, upon the retirement of Most Reverend Joseph Hart, Most Reverend David L. Ricken succeeded as the Bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne.

Bishop Ricken is a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Bishops’ Committee on Catechesis and served on the editorial oversight board for the National Directory of Catechesis. He is the Chairman of the Committee on the American College of Louvain, Belgium, and a member of the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People. He is currently on the board of trustees for the Our Lady of the New Advent Theological Institute in Denver and for the Catholic Mutual Relief Society. He is a member of the Bishop’s Advisory Council for the Institute for Priestly Formation and serves on the Board of Regents for Conception Seminary College. He is past-President of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and a past member of the Committee on Home Missions.

The Coat of Arms of His Excellency

Bishop Ricken was born on November 9, 1952 in Dodge City, Kansas, to G.W. (Bill) Ricken and Bertha (Davis) Ricken. He is one of three children; his brother, Mark, is the superintendent of schools in Flagler, Colorado and his sister, Carol Ricken, is the principal of Ben Franklin Grade school in Pueblo, Colorado.

He attended Dodge City's Sacred Heart Cathedral Grade School and St. Francis Seminary High School in Victoria, Kansas, from which he graduated in 1970.

After high school, Bishop Ricken began his collegiate studies at the Pontifical College Josephinum, in Worthington, Ohio, and graduated from Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri in 1974 with a bachelor of arts in philosophy.

His theological studies for the Diocese of Pueblo were taken at St. Meinrad School of Theology, in St. Meinrad, Indiana and the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, where he received his master's degree in theology in 1980 and where he attended the American College for Seminary Formation.

Bishop Ricken was ordained to the priesthood by the Bishop of Pueblo, Arthur Tafoya, in 1980. After serving as associate pastor and administrator, he was appointed vice-chancellor of the diocese from 1985-1987.

In 1987, Bishop Tafoya assigned him to graduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he received his licentiate degree in canon law in 1989. Following his studies, Bishop Ricken returned to the Diocese of Pueblo as Vocation Director and Vicar for Ministry Formation and was additionally named Chancellor of the Diocese in 1992. He was also appointed to assist in the Diocesan Tribunal, and served in these three positions until October, 1996 when he was nominated to his most recent position in the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy.

Bishop Ricken was named Coadjutor Bishop for the Diocese of Cheyenne on December 14, 1999 and ordained to the episcopacy on January 6, 2000 by Pope John Paul II.

On January 6, 2000 David L. Ricken was ordained to the episcopacy for the Diocese of Cheyenne at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. The Mass of Welcome to the Diocese of Cheyenne took place on February 11, 2000 in Cheyenne. Bishop Ricken is currently a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism and is on the Editorial Oversight Board for the National Directory of Catechesis (2001). He is President of the National Rural Life Committee. (2001) He was elected to the Episcopal Board of Governors of the Pontifical North American College in 2001. Bishop Ricken succeeded as the Bishop of the Diocese of
Cheyenne on September 26, 2001.