John Ricard

John Ricard was born in Baton Rouge; he is Creole. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier High School in 1958, he joined the Josephite Fathers at Mary Immaculate Novitiate in Walden, New York, and entered Epiphany Apostolic College in Newburgh, NY. He completed his theological studies at St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, D.C., and was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 1968. He earned an M.A. from Tulane University in 1970 and a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America in 1983.

He served as associate pastor at St. Peter Claver Church in New Orleans until 1972. He was then assigned as pastor of Holy Redeemer Church (1972–75) and of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Church (1975–79), both in Washington, D.C., where he also served as an instructor at the National Catholic School of Social Service at the Catholic University of America from 1976 to 1978. From 1979 until his appointment to the episcopacy, he was pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

In 1984, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 1997, Ricard was made Bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.

On Tuesday, December 22, 2009, John Ricard suffered a stroke and was treated at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.[2] He tendered his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI in February 2011 due to poor health.[3] Pope Benedict accepted Bishop Ricard's request for retirement on March 11, 2011.

In June 2011, Bishop Ricard was appointed rector of St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, DC. He commenced service as rector on August 1, 2011.

In June 2019, Bishop Ricard was elected as Superior General of his religious community, the Society of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites).[4] He began serving as Superior General in August of the same year.

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Pensacola–Tallahassee Official Site
• National Black Catholic Congress bio of John Ricard
• National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus bio of John Ricard