Most Reverend David L. Ricken, Bishop of Green Bay

Bishop David Laurin Ricken was born Nov. 9, 1952, to George William “Bill” and Bertha (Davis) Ricken in Dodge City, Kan. He has an older brother, Mark, and a younger sister, Carol.

He graduated from St. Francis Seminary High School in Victoria, Kansas, then entered the Pontifical College Josephinum in Worthington, Ohio. He graduated from Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri, in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He studied theology for the Diocese of Pueblo at St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana and the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium where he earned his graduate degree in sacred theology.

He was ordained a priest for the Pueblo Diocese on Sept. 12, 1980, by Bishop Arthur Tafoya at La Junta Parish in southeast Colorado. He served five years as associate pastor at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Pueblo until becoming the administrator of Holy Rosary Parish in Pueblo and vice chancellor of the Diocese.

In 1987, then-Father Ricken attended the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome where he received a Licentiate degree (J.C.L.) in Canon (church) Law in 1989. He then served as the vocation director and vicar for ministry formation for the Pueblo Diocese. Three years later, he also became diocesan chancellor and assisted in the Diocesan Tribunal. On Oct. 1, 1996, he was named an official of the Congregation for the Clergy at the Vatican, where he served through December 1999.

On Jan. 6, 2000, in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Pope John Paul II ordained him as the Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyo. Bishop Ricken succeeded Bishop Joseph Hart as the seventh leader of the Diocese of Cheyenne on Sept. 26, 2001.

Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop Ricken the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay on July 9, 2008. He was installed as bishop on Aug. 28, 2008, at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay.

Bishop Ricken is a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Bishops' Committee on Catechesis and served on the editorial oversight board for the National Directory of Catechesis. He chairs the Committee on the American College of Louvain in Belgium. He is a member of the Committee for Canonical Affairs and the Committee for Domestic Justice and Human Development, the Bishops’ Advisory Council for the Institute for Priestly Formation and he represented his region on the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People. He is on the board of trustees for the Our Lady of the New Advent Theological Institute in Denver and for the Catholic Mutual Relief Society and serves on the Board of Regents for Conception Seminary College. He is past-President of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and is a past member of the Committee on Home Missions.

Most Reverend Robert F. Morneau, Auxiliary Bishop of Green Bay

Bishop Robert F. Morneau was born Sept. 10, 1938, in New London, the fourth of six children of Leroy F. and Catherine (Fealey) Morneau. He graduated from Bear Creek High School and studied at St. Norbert College in De Pere and Sacred Heart Seminary in Oneida before earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 1966, by Bishop John B. Grellinger and worked as an assistant pastor in his hometown before accepting appointments in Manitowoc where he was a faculty member at Holy Family College (now known as Silver Lake College) and chaplain at the UW community college and Park Town Home. He has also taught at the Summer Theological Institute of St. Norbert College and served on the college’s Board of Trustees.

Father Morneau became an Auxiliary Bishop on Feb. 22, 1979. He was one of the first American priests to be named a bishop by Pope John Paul II. Through the years, he has served the Diocese as a member of the College of Consultors and the Diocesan Finance Council; as the Vicar for Priests and the Vicar General; and as pastor of Resurrection Parish in Allouez.

He is not only an avid runner and golfer, but also a reader of poetry and prose, and peppers his homilies and talks with references to his favorite literary treasures. A poet and author himself, he has written several books, and many of his essays appear in such periodicals as U.S. Catholic, St. Anthony Messenger, AMERICA and Emmanuel. In addition to writing, he gives retreats and lectures throughout the United States to lay groups as well as bishops and cardinals. He is considered the U.S. Catholic Church’s premier resource on stewardship, an expression of discipleship through which we gratefully receive God’s gifts, tenderly care for them, generously share them, and humbly return them to God.

He describes his ministry as this: "Priesthood has been a gift and a responsibility for me. As a gift, what a grace to be a part of so many people’s faith life. As a responsibility, it has brought a bundle of joys and sorrows, that is, a participation in the life of Jesus."

Most Reverend Robert J. Banks, Retired Bishop of Green Bay

Most Reverend Robert J. Banks is a native of Boston, Mass., where he was born on Feb. 26, 1928, to Robert J. and Rita K. (Sullivan) Banks. He entered the seminary after graduating from Cathedral High School in Boston and was ordained a priest in Rome's Lateran Basilica on Dec. 20, 1952.

He spent most of his priesthood as a professor of Canon Law and then as Rector at St. John's Seminary in Boston. He was ordained an auxiliary bishop for Boston on Sept. 19, 1985, and was then installed as the 10th Bishop of Green Bay on Dec. 5, 1990.

Bishop Banks' efforts in the Diocese of Green Bay centered mainly on the spiritual, including the Emmaus Program for priests and RENEW 2000 for everyone. Another important part of his ministry has been the program of parish visitation in which he spends almost a full day meeting with as many people as possible in each of the parishes. Bishop Banks has also developed a good relationship with the Lutheran, Episcopalian and Methodist church leaders, building on the covenant that was started by his predecessor, then-Bishop Adam Maida (now Cardinal Maida of Detroit).

He also encouraged vocations to the priesthood and religious life, strengthened ministry to the young and to newcomers, especially Hispanics, and he initiated several projects designed to make the Sunday Mass the best celebration it can be in each parish.

Bishop Banks has had a lifelong interest in education. He has served as the chair of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Education and the Committee on the Catechism. He served as the chair of the National Catholic Education Association.

He submitted his resignation to the Holy Father Feb. 26, 2003 – his 75th birthday – in accord with Canon Law (church law).