Richard Charles Patrick Hanifen

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

Early life and education 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. Edward Anselm co-founded an investment firm in Denver.

Richard Hanifen received his early education at the parochial school of St. Philomena Parish in Denver, where he occasionally served as an altar server. 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. Hanifen's first assignment after ordination was as an assistant pastor at Our Lady of the Mountains Parish in Estes Park, Colorado. He was consecrated at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on September 20, 1974, by Archbishop Casey, with Bishops George R. Evans and Charles A. Buswell serving as co-consecrators. As of 2021, Hanifen was continuing to counsel to parishioners, hold retreats, and assist with confirmations and other major masses.