John Huston Ricard

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ricard is of Creole descent. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier High School in 1958, he joined the Josephites at Mary Immaculate Novitiate in Walden, New York. Ricard then entered Epiphany Apostolic College in Newburgh, New York. He completed his theological studies at St. Joseph's Seminary in Washington, D.C.[2]

On May 25, 1968. Ricard was ordained to the priesthood.

Ricard's first assignment was as associate pastor at St. Peter Claver Parish in New Orleans. In 1970, he earned an MA degrees from Tulane University.

In 1972, Ricard was assigned as pastor of Holy Redeemer Church, then in 1975 at Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Church, both in Washington, D.C. He also served as an instructor at the National Catholic School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America from 1976 to 1978.

In 1979, Richard was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Washington. He was awarded a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America in 1983.

On May 25, 1984, Pope John Paul II appointed Ricard as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Titular Bishop of Rucuma. He was installed and consecrated on July 2 1984 at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore by Archbishop William Donald Borders.[1]

On January 20, 1997, John Paul II appointed Ricard as the Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. He was installed and consecrated on March 13, 1997.[2]

On May 14, 2004, Ricard issued a statement denouncing the "abuse and torture" by US military forces of Iraqi combatants captured during the Iraqi insurgency from 2003 to 2011.[3]

On December 22, 2009, John Ricard suffered a stroke and was treated at Sacred Heart Hospital of Pensacola.[4] He tendered his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI in February 2011 due to poor health.[5] The Pope accepted Ricard's resignation on March 11, 2011.

In June 2011, Ricard was appointed rector of St. Joseph Seminary in DC. He commenced service as rector on August 1, 2011. In June 2019, Ricard was elected as Superior General of the Society of St. Joseph.[6] He began serving in August 2019.

On November 24, 2021, Ricard issued a statement with Archbishop Wilton Gregory calling for justice following the 2020 murder of Ahmaud Arbery in a suburb of Brunswick, Georgia.[7]