Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen

Bishop Emeritus of Colorado Springs
Archdiocese| Denver
Diocese| Colorado Springs
Appointed| November 10, 1983
Installed| January 30, 1984
Retired| January 30, 2003
Predecessor| First Bishop
Successor| Michael John Sheridan
Previous post(s)|

* Auxiliary Bishop of Denver and Titular Bishop of Abercornia (1974-1984)

Orders
Ordination| June 6, 1959
by Urban John Vehr
Consecration| September 20, 1974
by James Vincent Casey, George Roche Evans, and Charles Albert Buswell
Personal details
Born|  (1931-06-15) June 15, 1931 (age 93)

Denver, Colorado, US

Denomination| Roman Catholic
Parents| Edward Anselm and Dorothy Elizabeth (née Ranous) Hanifen
Education| Regis College
St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary
Catholic University of America
Pontifical Lateran University
Styles of
Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen

Reference style|

* His Excellency
* The Most Reverend

Spoken style| Your Excellency
Religious style| Bishop

Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen (born June 15, 1931) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. Hanifen was the first bishop of the new Diocese of Colorado Springs in Colorado, serving from 1984 to 2003. Hanifen served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Denver in Colorado from 1974 to 1984.

## Biography

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### Early life and education

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Richard Hanifen was born on June 15, 1931, in Denver, Colorado, the third of four children of Edward Anselm and Dorothy Elizabeth (née Ranous) Hanifen.[1] Edward Anselm co-founded an investment firm in Denver.[1] As a child, Richard Hanifen suffered from chronic asthma.[2]

Richard Hanifen received his early education at the parochial school of St. Philomena Parish in Denver, where he occasionally served as an altar server.[2] He attended Regis High School in Aurora, Colorado, while working as a delivery boy for a grocery store.[2] After graduating from high school in 1949, Hanifen enrolled at Regis College in Denver.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Regis in 1953.[2]

In 1953, Hanifen began his studies for the priesthood at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary in Denver.[1][3] During his studies, he was selected to participate in an experimental pairing between St. Thomas and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.[2] He later earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from Catholic University in 1959.[2]

### Priesthood

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On June 6, 1959, Hanifen was ordained a priest by Archbishop Urban J. Vehr at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Denver.[4] Hanifen's first assignment after ordination was as an assistant pastor at Our Lady of the Mountains Parish in Estes Park, Colorado.[1] He then served at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish. In 1966, Hanifen entered Catholic University, earning a Master of Arts degree in guidance and counseling.[1]

In 1968, Hanifen received a Licentiate of Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.[1] During his time in Italy, he and some of his fellow students visited Florence, experiencing the 1966 flood of the River Arno.[2] Following his return to Denver in 1968, Hanifen served as vice-chancellor of the archdiocese and secretary to Archbishop James V. Casey.[2] In 1969, he was appointed as chancellor of the archdiocese.[2]

### Auxiliary Bishop of Denver

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On July 6, 1974, Pope Paul VI appointed Hanifen as an auxiliary bishop of Denver and titular bishop of Abercornia.[5] He was consecrated on September 20, 1974, by Archbishop Casey, with Bishops George R. Evans and Charles A. Buswell serving as co-consecrators.[4] As an auxiliary bishop, Hanifen was appointed as episcopal vicar for the southern area of the archdiocese in 1975.[2] Hanifen was in Rome for a one-month study sabbatical when Pope John Paul I was elected in the papal conclave of August 1978; Hanifen participated in the new pope's Inauguration Mass on September 3, 1978.[2]

### Bishop of Colorado Springs

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On November 10, 1983, Pope John Paul II appointed Hanifen as the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Colorado Springs.[4] In January 1984, he told The Colorado Springs Gazette:, "A bishop should not be a glaring watchdog of orthodoxy but a good shepherd of his flock."[1] Hanifen was installed at the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs on January 30, 1984.[4]

in September 1984, Hanifen designated St. Mary's Church in Colorado Springs as the diocesan cathedral and launched The Catholic Herald, the monthly diocesan newspaper.[1] He emphasized collaboration with the laity, appointing them to leadership positions within the diocese to ease the burden of the clergy.[2] He also supported ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, co-founding the Center for Christian-Jewish Dialogue in Colorado Springs with Rabbi Howard Hirsch.[2] During Hanifen's nearly two decades as bishop, the number of Catholics and parishes in the diocese nearly doubled.[2]

### Retirement

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On January 30, 2003, Hanifen sent his letter of resignation as bishop of Colorado Springs to John Paul II.[4] The pope appointed Bishop Michael Sheridan as his replacement.[6] As of 2021, Hanifen was continuing to counsel to parishioners, hold retreats, and assist with confirmations and other major masses.[3]

## See also

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Portals:

* Biography
* Catholicism
* Colorado

* Catholic Church hierarchy
* Catholic Church in the United States
* Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
* List of Catholic bishops of the United States
* Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

## References

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1. ^ a b c d e f g h Noel, Thomas J. "Casey: The Gentle Shepherd (1967-1986)". Colorado Catholicism: The Archdiocese of Denver (1857-1989). Archived from the original on 2008-07-18.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "A Brief Biography of Bishop Hanifen" (PDF). The Colorado Catholic Herald. 2009-06-05.
3. ^ a b "Bishop Emeritus Richard C. Hanifen". www.diocs.org. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
4. ^ a b c d e "Bishop Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
5. ^ "Bishop Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
6. ^ "Most Rev. Michael J. Sheridan, S.T.D." Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs. Archived from the original on September 18, 2007.

## External links

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* Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs Official Site

## Episcopal succession

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Catholic Church titles

Preceded by

First Bishop

|  Bishop of Colorado Springs
1984--2003  | Succeeded by

Michael John Sheridan

Preceded by

|  Auxiliary Bishop of Denver
1974--1984  | Succeeded by

* v
* t
* e

Roman Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs

Bishops|

Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen
Michael John Sheridan
James R. Golka

Churches|

Cathedral
St. Mary’s Cathedral

Education|

High school
St. Mary's High School, Colorado Springs

* Catholicism portal

* v
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Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver

Ordinaries|

Bishops
Joseph Projectus Machebeuf
Nicholas Chrysostom Matz
John Henry Tihen

Archbishops
Urban John Vehr
James Vincent Casey
James Stafford
Charles J. Chaput
Samuel J. Aquila

Auxiliary bishops|

David Monas Maloney
George Roche Evans
Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen
José Horacio Gómez
James D. Conley
Jorge Rodríguez-Novelo

Churches|

Cathedral
Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Parishes
Annunciation Church, Denver
St. Dominic's Church, Denver
St. Ignatius Loyola Church, Denver
St. Joseph's Church, Denver
Holy Ghost Catholic Church, Denver
St. Joseph's (Polish) Church, Denver
St. Anthony's Church, Sterling

Chapels
Chapel on the Rock
St. Patrick Mission Church, Denver

Education|

Higher education
Regis University
Augustine Institute

Seminary
Saint John Vianney Theological Seminary

High schools
Arrupe Jesuit High School, Denver
Bishop Machebeuf Catholic High School, Denver
Holy Family High School, Broomfield
Mullen High School, Denver
Our Lady of the Rosary Academy, Mountain View
Regis Jesuit High School, Aurora
St. Mary's Academy, Cherry Hills Village

Former high schools
Marycrest Girls High School, Denver
Colorado Catholic Academy, Wheat Ridge

Priests|

Hubert Newell
R. Walker Nickless
John Baptist Pitaval

Miscellany|

John Paul II Center for the New Evangelization
Our Lady of the New Advent
Servants of Christ Jesus

* Catholicism portal

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