Most Reverend Richard Joseph Malone was born in Salem, Mass., on March 19, 1946 and was raised in Hamilton and Beverly, Mass. He graduated in 1964 from St. John’s Preparatory School, Danvers and began his seminary college years at Cardinal O’Connell Seminary in Jamaica Plain, M. He graduated from St. John Seminary, Boston with a B.A. in philosophy, a bachelor's degree in divinity and a master's degree in biblical studies. In 1981, Bishop Malone earned a doctorate in theology (Th.D.) from Boston University and a licentiate in sacred theology (S.T.L.) at Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Cambridge in 1990. 
Bishop Malone was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on May 20, 1972, by then-Archbishop Humberto Medeiros and was assigned to St. Patrick Parish, Stoneham as associate pastor. In 1974, having requested and received a voluntary leave of absence from parish ministry, he was named to the faculty of St. Clement High School, Somerville. Two years later he joined the faculty and served as chaplain at Xaverian High School, Westwood. He was appointed to the faculty of his alma mater, St. John Seminary College, in 1979, where he taught religious and theological studies. He also served as registrar and academic dean during his tenure. 

During those same years, he was a part-time chaplain at Wellesley (Wellesley, Mass.) and Regis (Weston, Mass.) Colleges and taught at Emmanuel College, Boston. In 1990, the bishop was assigned as chaplain to the Harvard-Radcliffe Catholic Student Center, Cambridge. He accepted the position of director of the Office of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of Boston in 1993; two years later he was named secretary of education, the cabinet position which oversees all the educational activities of the Boston Archdiocese. In March of 2000, he was ordained Titular Bishop of Aptuca and appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, South Region. 

Bishop Malone produced and hosted television programs for Boston Catholic Television; was the archdiocesan liaison with the local Jewish community; and lectured nationally on evangelization, catechesis and Catholic education. 

Bishop Malone was named the 11th bishop of Portland on February 10, 2004 by Blessed John Paul II and installed on March 31, 2004 at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.  On May 29, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop Malone 14th bishop of Buffalo. On August 10, 2012, he was installed as 14th bishop of Buffalo at St. Joseph Cathedral in Buffalo, New York.