Pastoral Letters, Writings & Liturgical Documents
Over Bishop Ricken’s time as the twelfth bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, he has written a number of pastoral letters, reflections, and other writings. Below, you can find brief descriptions and access the PDF files.
Pastoral Instruction for the Diocesan Practice of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds
March 28, 2024 | Holy Thursday
As we continue in these Worship Jesus years dedicated to Eucharistic revival in our Diocese and in our nation, it brings the opportunity to prayerfully reflect and discern on the need for renewal within our liturgical practices, and worship of our Lord present in the Eucharist. During this time, one question has arisen in regard to the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds. To respond to the question, I have issued this Pastoral Instruction for the Diocesan Practice of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds. These Diocesan practices align with the heart and mind of the Church as found in the Liturgical Norms and Directives. This Pastoral Instruction is mandatory and will go into effect on the weekend of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi), June 1-2, 2024.
Pastoral Letter – Encountering Jesus in the Eucharist: Disciples Called To Worship (2022)
As we continue our journey into missionary discipleship as "Disciples on the Way," we move into the next phase of our discipleship process, the Worship Jesus years. In his latest pastoral letter, Bishop Ricken calls us to a deeper appreciation of Jesus in the Eucharist and a greater focus and study on the Mass.
Invitation Letter
Pastoral Letter (English)
Carta Pastoral (Español)
Bishop’s Corner – Column in The Compass
Read the series of columns Bishop Ricken has shared in The Compass, the official and award-winning publication for the Diocese of Green Bay. Covering a variety of timely topics, this is one of the main communication methods he uses to reach those across the 16 counties that make up our diocese.
Pastoral Exhortation – Announcing a Year in Honor of St. Joseph (2020)
“On December 8, 1870, Pope Pius IX declared St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, and this year marks the 150th anniversary of that declaration. After much prayer and consultation, I have discerned the need to declare a special year of prayer in honor of St. Joseph. St. Joseph has proven himself a miracle worker throughout the history of the church and also today. He answers prayers simply, humbly and thoroughly. It is with great excitement and confidence that I invite you to celebrate this year in honor of St. Joseph with me. My hope is that this year will be an invitation for families and all people in our diocese to seek out St. Joseph’s intercession.
Invitation Letter
Pastoral Letter (English)
Carta Pastoral (Español)
Pastoral Letter - Disciples on the Way (2014)
The goal of Disciples on the Way, A Missionary Journey into the New Evangelization for the Diocese of Green Bay, is the renewal of each person and in turn, our parishes through discovering Jesus, following Jesus, worshipping Jesus, and sharing Jesus. Bishop Ricken said this is a journey of “prayer, preaching, teaching, and growing in faith, that will help us not necessarily to do more, but to be more; to be more like Jesus in all aspects of our lives, work, and ministries. … May this journey renew our relationship to Christ in our prayer, may it help to form us into disciples, and may it deepen our sense of mission that we know is so vital for the faith to continue to grow and flourish.”
Invitation Letter
Pastoral Letter (English)
Carta Pastoral (Español)
September 6th, 2018 Compass Article
Disciples on the Way Parish Leadership Overview (English)
Vision General de Discipulos en el Camino (Español)
September 8th, 2022 Compass Article - Pastoral Letter on the Eucharist, Worship Jesus Years
Pastoral Reflection – Teach My People to Pray (2014)
This pastoral reflection is focused on inviting the faithful to take the next step in deepening their prayer lives. It responds to the Lord's call to "teach my people to pray." As Bishop Ricken shared, “Shortly after I arrived in the Diocese of Green Bay in August of 2008 as your bishop, I kept hearing the words, ‘teach my people to pray’ as I spent time in prayer. Evidently the Lord and the Blessed Mother want to pour out even more abundant graces on all of us so that we may learn to pray and to pray more deeply, thereby growing in holiness together!”
Pastoral Letter (English)
Carta Pastoral (Español)
Pastoral Reflection - Implementation Guide
Pastoral Letter – Parishes: Called to be Holy, Fully Engaged, Fully Alive (2011)
In this pastoral letter, Bishop Ricken reminds us that the heart of our faith in our diocese is the local parish. The world needs Jesus Christ now more than ever. The world needs the church now more than ever. Bishop Ricken offers six focus areas that every parish was asked to study and undertake. These are ways in which we will be attempting to make the church a stronger witness in the world; to be a place of invitation for you to come every Sunday to be renewed by the word and the Eucharist; and to do your part to make Jesus Christ and the church more clearly and adequately explained and proclaimed in our world today.
Pastoral Letter - A New Moment for Catechesis (2009)
“With the publication of this pastoral letter, I am announcing that the new adult catechism, The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, is to be the foundational text for all adult faith formation and catechesis in the Diocese of Green Bay. This catechism will serve as the rudder on the ship of the catechetical mission of this Diocese as we ‘put out into the deep’ of this new century and millennium. We commit ourselves to doing our very best to prepare for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit, commonly called the ‘new evangelization’ as foreseen by the Second Vatican Council, by Pope John Paul II and now by Pope Benedict XVI.”