Rev. Richard Raymond Hinkley was raised in a mixed American-Cuban family and attended St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church and School. Following his education at Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, TX, the University of Notre Dame, IN, and a year at the University of Houston Law Center, TX, he entered seminary formation for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in 2008. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in June 2014, having completed his seminary formation at both Holy Trinity in Irving, Texas, and the Pontifical North American College in Rome, completing an S.T.L. from the Pontifical Atheneum of Sant’Anselmo. 

Since ordination, he has served in a variety of capacities including: the temporary parish administrator at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Houston, the parochial vicar at St. Thomas More in Houston, the parochial vicar at St. Helen Parish in Pearland, and the parochial vicar at St. John Vianney in Houston. Since 2015, he has assisted the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate by offering Mass and instructing the junior sisters as part of their formation. Fr. Richard has served on the Priest Personnel Board for a number of years. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Thomas and serves on the Archdiocesan Priest Personnel Board and Chairman of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission.

He joined St. Mary’s Seminary’s faculty in May 2021 as the Coordinator of Spiritual Formation. In 2025, he received bi-ritual faculties in the Byzantine Rite to assist when needed the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh. Also, in 2025, he was hired as the Division Dean of the School of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary, and as an assistant professor. His academic interests include liturgical studies, sacramental theology, and ecclesiastical history. 

S.T.L., Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo 

S.T.B., Pontificia Universita Gregoriana 

B.A., University of Notre Dame