Background
Higgins was born September 3, 1928 in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland.
Higgins was born September 3, 1928 in Magherafelt, Northern Ireland.
All Hallows College.
Higgins served as pastor from 1958 to 2007. Upon his retirement, Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio proclaimed the week of June 21 to June 30, 2007 as "Higgin"s Days."
He was ordained a Catholic priest on June 21, 1953 at All Hallows Seminary in Dublin, Ireland. As a priest he has served as the Vicar General of the Diocese of Saint St. Petersburg under the late Bishop Thomas Larkin.
In 1983, Pope John Paul II gave him the title of Monsignor Prelate of Honor and subsequently in 1988 Protonotary Apostolic, the highest rank of Monsignor.
As pastor, Higgins oversaw the development of the Saint Lawrence Parish and the Saint Lawrence Catholic School. The parish"s convention center, Higgins Hall, was named in his honor.
Higgins is also chaplain for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and serves on planning and executive boards for the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) and the Bay Area Legal Services. Higgins is commonly sought by the Bay area media outlets to comment on controversial and church-related issues.
On April 1, 2007 he announced his retirement as the pastor of the parish effective June 30, 2007, while remaining at the parish as pastor emeritus.