David Ricken

David Laurin Ricken (born November 9, 1952) is an American Catholic prelate who has served as the Bishop of Green Bay since 2008. He previously served as Bishop of Cheyenne from 1999 to 2008.

Biography

Early life and education David Ricken was born on November 9, 1952, to George William "Bill" Ricken and Bertha (Davis) Ricken in Dodge City, Kansas. He has a brother, Mark, and a sister, Carol. For his primary education, David Ricken attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Grade School in Dodge City. He then went to Worthington, Ohio, to study philosophy at the Pontifical College Josephinum. Ricken then attended the Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri, graduating there in 1974. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Ricken as associate pastor of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Parish in Pueblo. In 1985, Tafoya named Ricken as parish administrator of Holy Rosary Parish in Pueblo and vice-chancellor of the diocese.

In early 2002, Hart was accused of repeatedly coercing a 14-year-old boy to expose himself in 1977, when Hart was an auxiliary bishop in Cheyenne. Ricken said that he spoke to Hart about the changes and believed him to be innocent. Hart was cleared in July 2002.

Ricken co-founded Wyoming Catholic College in Lander, Wyoming, in 2005 and established the Wyoming School of Catholic Thought at the new college. Ricken also founded the John Paul II Catholic School in Gillette, Wyoming, and oversaw the construction of a new building for St. Mary's Catholic School in Cheyenne.

Bishop of Green Bay

Pope Benedict XVI named Ricken as the twelfth bishop of Green Bay on July 9, 2008. Ricken was installed on August 28, 2008. In 2015, Ricken criticized St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin, for inviting the journalist Gloria Steinem to speak at the college, due to her support of abortion rights for women.

In 2017, Cheyenne Bishop Steven Biegler determined that the 2002 investigation of Hart was flawed and opened a new one. At that time, more alleged victims voiced accusations against him. During this period, Ricken was criticized for his role in defending him, and possibly protecting him, in 2002. In 2019, Ricken replied: "Well I suppose reading back you could say that, but I did what I knew to do at the time with what I knew, and that’s what I did." In 2021 the Vatican cleared Hart of seven allegations and determined seven other allegations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt; however, the Vatican gave Hart a severe reprimand.

In November 2023, Ricken objected to a Christmas tree being exhibited at the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, during its yearly Festival of Trees. The tree, prepared by the Satanic Temple of Wisconsin in Chippewa Falls, featured inverted crosses, pentagrams and other satanic symbols. Ricken condemned what he termed the desecration of a traditional understanding of Christmas.

Ricken is a 2009 inductee in the Catholic Education Foundation's Hall of Fame.