Collaborative Catholic Formation
Ministries
Chaplain:
Fr. Ryan Higdon
Fr. Ryan Higdon
Hometown: Round Rock, TX
Education: BA in Philosophy, University of Dallas, 2007
STB, St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, 2012
M.Div, University of St. Thomas, 2012
M.A. in Theological Studies, University of St. Thomas, 2012
Throughout all of these I was in attendance at Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas and St. Mary’s in Houston.
Ministry Background: It was as a freshman in High School that the Lord broke through my barriers and introduced himself. My life has blessedly never been the same. I tentatively began to follow him but he had other designs and quickly wrapped my heart in bands of love and pulled me deeper in. I went from a barely active teen to an over active one that certainly caused my youth minister, Sharon Deltz, to roll her eyes more than a few times. I count those days of growth at St. Thomas More in north Austin as wholly foundational and ultimately why I was given the strength to enter the seminary straight out of High School. As a seminarian I was given multiple opportunities to minister and be ministered too. During my years in the seminary I ministered in day cares, maximum security prisons, youth detention centers, hospitals, nursing homes, RCIA classes, youth groups, retreats, founded a youth group and young adult ministry, and for four years, as an Army Chaplain in the Reserves, where my heart fell in love with our
service men and women.
I am currently called by God and the Bishop of Austin to cheerfully and faithfully serve the people of God at St. Mary’s in College Station. It’s a complete blast.
Passions & Interests: I geek out a lot. I’m a fan of B rated zombie flicks...ok, let’s be honest, all zombie flicks. I love cinema and being totally wrapped up in a good story. I guess that’s why I love to read and can never quite get to the end of my reading list. I love to run and have completed several marathons. I also have a fascination with craft beer and home brewing. People tell me have problem with bread, but I prefer to see it as a long term love affair with carbs. The running helps with these last two.
How did you become involved with CCFM and why? I’m involved because I’m deeply committed to the formation of lay ministry. CCFM meets a need that is deeply needed in the Church and I am happy to assist it in any way I can. Helping the amazing staff at CCFM is decided joy for me – they have a joy for Christ that is contagious.
Favorite Quotes / Bible Verses: Easy! Matthew 6:34 “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.”
“Do not burden yourself with uneasiness or anxiety over the matters God has committed to your care. This worry only disturbs reason and good judgment and prevents you from doing well the very things you are worried about. Men who hurry about with tormenting anxiety and eager solicitude never accomplish much, nor do they do them well. Flies do not bother us because of their strength but because of their numbers, and so also affairs of importance do not give us much trouble as do many trifling things.” – St. Francis de Sales