In the annals of Maynooth College, there are several examples of alumni and staff members who have played major roles in the missionary life of the church through their involvement as founders or heads of religious orders, particularly the Maynooth-inspired initiatives that resulted in the foundation of the Irish Vincentians and the formation of Maynooth Missions to China (Columbans), India and Nigeria (Kiltegan). But few could have predicted that a modest Drogheda man who served as spiritual director for almost a decade in the late 1960s and early 1970s while in his early forties, would go on to become superior general of his extensive world-wide order (approximately 3600 priests, 4000 brothers in 533 houses, in more than forty countries) occupying the position for two terms totaling twelve years

The following summary is adapted from a report of his death by Hubert Murphy in the Drogheda Independent:

Born on July 28th 1926 at the family home at 33 Laurence Street, Drogheda, Richard McMullen was the son of Dr. Paddy and Eva McCullen. From 1939 he studied at St. Patrick's Diocesan College, Armagh, then under the supervision of the Vincentians, from where he entered St Patrick's College, Maynooth, enrolling in the Vincentian Congregation in 1945. In 1948, he earned (with honors) a Bachelor's Degree in English at the National University of Ireland, and then spent four years in theological studies before his ordination to the priesthood in 1952.

Father McCullen continued his studies in Rome, where he obtained a Doctorate of Canon Law Degree in 1956. Returning to Ireland, he spent the next eleven years at St. Kevin's, a house of studies for theological students at Glenart in Wicklow, serving as Professor of Canon Law, Director of Students and Superior.

From 1967 to 1975, he was on the staff of Maynooth College, where the Vincentians had provided spiritual direction since 1887. He then served as Provincial of the Irish Province. During his five years in that position, he was active in fostering missionary activities in Nigeria, a flourishing mission of the Province.

In 1980 Father Richard was elected Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission serving in that position from 1980 at 1992.

During his term of office, he travelled the world, visiting Vincentian provinces of priests and also the Daughters of Charity.

From 1993 to 1995 Father McCullen served as spiritual director at Saint Patrick's Teacher Training College in Dublin, which had been under the supervision of the Vincentian Order since 1883. From 1996 he resided at Saint Paul's College in Dublin, a Vincentian post-primary school, and it was there that he died on December 24th. 2015 at the age of eighty-nine.

In a tribute in the Drogheda Independent in January 2016, John McCullen wrote:

Dick was the second of four children  born to Doctor Paddy McCullen and Eva (Austin) a

As a young boy his favourite game was saying Mass, with younger brother Jim and sister Mary as servers. This foretold his future career, long before such a thing as female altar servers.

Receiving his early education with the Sisters of Charity in Duke Street and the Christian Brothers at Sunday Gate, Dick was sent to St. Patrick's College in Armagh, partly for further education and partly to benefit from "fresher air" to assist his asthma problems. One of the highlights of his time there was acting as a principal in a play called "The Golden Priest", based on the life of Oliver Plunkett.

He spent the year of 1945 taking time to decide between a future as a Diocesan priest like his Uncle Richard, who was P.P. in Kells, having been ordained in 1909, and who was a formidable presence, or joining the Vicentians (Congregation of the Missions). The Vins won...

Years of study followed at Maynooth and in Rome where he received a Doctorate in Canon Law in 1956, having been ordained priest in 1952 at Clonliffe College. A few months later, his father, Doctor Paddy, died suddenly, which was a traumatic event for the family and his many patients in Drogheda.

Fr. Dick inherited a spirit of service from his father, which he used for the rest of his life. The Vincentians had a house of studies at Glenart in Wicklow and from 1957-67, Fr. Dick worked there as Lecturer, Professor and Superior. Another decade followed in the wider world, as Spiritual Director in St. Patrick's College, Maynooth until 1975.

Here he had contact with students for the priesthood from all over the country, and managed to maintain that contact with many of these ever since. As one man said to me "Fr. Dick wasn't just a lecturer, he was a relationship!"

From Maynooth, he was appointed Provincial of the Irish Province for a five year term and in 1980 went to Rome to elect a successor to St. Vincent de Paul, Superior General of the Congregation. At home in 33, Laurence Street, his mother Eva prayed earnestly that he would not be elected. However those prayers did not work and Fr. Dick became the Most Holy Father of the Vincentians and the Daughters of Charity in 1980. His description at the time: "I felt like a man who had gone out to sea for a swim, and then got caught in a current which carried me away from all that was familiar to me and to depths I have never known."

Twelve years, or two terms, as Superior General followed, which meant travelling worldwide to outposts of nuns and priests in countries at peace and at war, while having his base in Rome, a place of great humidity in summer.

Perhaps it was Eva's prayers, but the asthma remained absent all that time. At the completion of the twelve years, Fr. Dick moved back to St. Patrick's College in Drumcondra and a book of his spiritual writings was produced in Spanish in 1992. He was always a superb linguist, at ease in seven different languages, and a volume of his selected writings, called 'Deep Down Things' was published in 1995.

When Fr. Dick returned to Dublin, he expressed a wish to work with the poor through the St. Vincent de Paul Society and preach some retreats, describing himself as "a poor immigrant now, coming from Italy, and seeking employment". In an interview, on retiring from the role of Superior General, he expressed gratitude and praise for all the good things he had experienced all over the world.

Moving to St. Paul's in Raheny at the age of seventy, he had more time to visit his ancestral home at Beamore, "to gaze on the same trees he had played under on his childhood visits", and appearing at hospital beds with a listening ear and a basket of fruit.

His two brothers, Oliver and Jim, were both ill for some years and Fr. Dick was a constant visitor. Still youthful, humorous and technologically skilled, he continued often daily contact by phone, text and email with a large number of people of all ages, up to two weeks before his death in his 90th year, on Christmas Eve, 2015.

Speaking in St. Peter's in Phibsboro, his close friend, Fr. Aidan Galvin, mentioned the prayer of St. Augustine, which Fr. Dick had taped to his desk: "Give me courage, strength and generosity to let go and move on, leaving the past behind me, living the present to the full...I entrust the past to your mercy, the present to your love, and the future to your providence."

Fr. Dick was buried on the mound at Castleknock College, where his ancestor Fr. Tom McNamara, founded the Irish Vincentians in 1839, with four others. His inspiring presence is missed by his sister Mary, brother-in-law Billy, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins, friends and Community. After 106 years having a Father Richard in the family, the change and loss is great. May he rest in peace.