The Archdiocese of Boston will have a new leader later this year following the retirement of Cardinal Seán O’Malley and the appointment of Bishop Richard Henning as the next archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. Pope Francis announced Henning’s appointment Monday morning and O’Malley soon introduced Henning at the archdiocese’s Pastoral Center in Braintree. Currently the bishop of the Diocese of Providence, Henning will be the tenth bishop and the seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston. He will be installed on Oct. 31 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Boston’s first new archbishop in more than 20 years was born in Rockville Centre, New York in 1964, according to his biography from the Diocese of Providence. The son of a New York City firefighter and a mother who was a nurse, Henning grew up in nearby Valley Stream, which sits roughly two miles west of John F. Kennedy International Airport on Long Island. He was the first of five children for his parents.
Henning received a bachelors and masters degree in history from St. John’s University in Queens, New York before studying for the priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York. Henning was ordained as a priest in 1992 and was first assigned to work as an associate pastor at a church in Port Washington, New York within his hometown Diocese of Rockville Centre.
Henning continued studying once he joined the priesthood, earning licentiate in biblical theology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and a doctorate in biblical theology from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Center in 2018 and moved to Rhode Island in 2022 when Pope Francis appointed him as coadjutor bishop of Providence. Henning automatically became the new bishop of the Diocese of Providence in 2023 when Bishop Thomas Tobin resigned.
In addition to English, Henning is fluent in Spanish and Italian, according to his biography. He is able to read French, Greek, and Hebrew. Speaking at Monday’s introduction event alongside O’Malley, he said he is also learning Portuguese. Henning has been active in the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops, according to his biography.
Leading Through Difficult Times
Henning served in the Diocese of Rockville Centre as the diocese faced mounting financial struggles related to a series of child abuse cases. The diocese declared bankruptcy in 2020 and a court to pause a series of lawsuits to allow them to be settled collectively, as reported by the Associated Press. Henning faced questions about his work in Rockville Centre on Monday. Though he said he was not involved in the day-to-day aspects of the bankruptcy process, he said he agreed with then-Bishop John Barres’ decisions.
“The diocese could not continue in the face of the obligations that were piling up,” Henning said. “…It really was the only decision that would have allowed the diocese to meet the obligations to survivors as well as continue the mission of the church.”
A Familiar Path?
Before being appointed to lead the Archdiocese of Boston in the wake of its clergy child abuse scandal in the early 2000s, O’Malley served a brief stint as the Bishop of the Diocese of Palm Beach in Florida. Henning is set to begin his time in Boston after a similarly short term in Providence. Speaking Monday, he said he was shocked to hear of his new appointment.
“I do feel a special tug in my heart today for my beloved Rhode Islanders,” Henning said. Though his time in Rhode Island was brief, he described it as “intense and joyful.” He said the people of Rhode Island welcomed him to their community and said leaving Providence will be difficult. Henning, however, said he is “a man under authority” and understands the need to move.
A New Chapter
Providence parishioner Catherine Messier on Monday said Henning “has been really wonderful in the last year and a half.” “I’m excited for a new adventure for Bishop Henning but I won’t lie and say that I won’t miss him greatly,” Messier said. Father Jean Joseph Brice, a Providence priest, similarly praised Henning. “He’s a prayerful man, a holy man, a down to earth bishop who loves his priests,” Brice said. “I wish he could stay a few years more,” said one other parishioner in Providence on Monday. “But the position that they’re giving him, he’s raising up to a higher position. He’ll just be a good leader for our whole area.”
Henning’s predecessor in Providence, Thomas Tobin, at times drew backlash in response to political stances, particularly on the topic of same sex marriage. Henning has avoided major controversies in his career and shared his outlook on the intersection of politics and his duties as a bishop.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever been an activist. I’m not that exciting,” he said. “My stance in Providence has been that I’m a pastor, not a politician.” Henning said the Catholic church’s teaching “recognizes the right and the obligation of the lay people to engage in the political process.” “What I want to do is to help the Catholics, the faithful of this archdiocese form their consciences,” he said. Henning said he has opinions and said he will vote. “I’ll never tell you for whom I vote,” he added, though. “I don’t belong to a party. That’s not my job to advocate for either side.”
Henning acknowledged the Catholic church takes some positions based on its teachings. On the topic of abortion, he said he identifies as pro-life. But he said he knows “people of goodwill passionately disagree” and said people on all sides of such issues must “take the risk of dialogue.”
The Future of the Archdiocese
Henning's appointment comes at a time when the Catholic Church in the United States is facing a number of challenges, including declining attendance, a shortage of priests, and ongoing scandals related to sexual abuse. Henning will be tasked with leading the Archdiocese of Boston through these challenges and ensuring that the Catholic Church remains relevant and vibrant in the 21st century. He is expected to begin his new role on October 31st, and it will be interesting to see how he approaches these challenges and what his vision for the future of the Archdiocese of Boston will be.
