BRAINTREE, Mass. (OSV News) — Ending months of speculation about the future leadership of the Archdiocese of Boston, Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley and appointed Bishop Richard G. Henning of Providence, Rhode Island, to succeed him as the archdiocese’s 10th bishop and seventh archbishop.
The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington Aug. 5 by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
According to the archdiocese, Archbishop Henning, 59, will be installed Oct. 31. Cardinal O’Malley remains archbishop of Boston until that date.
An announcement of the new appointment issued by the Boston Archdiocese said Cardinal O’Malley and Archbishop Henning will celebrate Mass together this morning at the archdiocese’s Pastoral Center at 9 a.m., followed by a joint press conference at 10 a.m., which can be viewed at vimeo.com/event/4489023.
Cardinal O’Malley’s resignation
According to rules set by St. Paul VI, all bishops must submit their resignation to the pope at age 75, which the pope is free to accept or defer as he chooses. However, because the same rules dictate that cardinals lose their appointments in Vatican dicasteries and may not participate in the conclave to elect the next pope once they turn 80, it is typically expected that the pope will accept the resignation of active cardinals at or around that age.
Cardinal O’Malley celebrated his 80th birthday on June 29. He has headed the Boston Archdiocese since July 2003. Archbishop Henning has headed the Providence Diocese since his May 1, 2023, installation.
Archbishop Henning reacts to the appointment
“Over the last two years, you may have noticed that I usually have something to say,” Archbishop Henning said in a statement. “I regret that in this instance, I do not feel that I can find the words to express my sorrow in leaving the Church of Providence. In so many ways and moments, you have welcomed me into your churches, homes, and hearts. Your resilience in the face of challenges, your commitment to family and community, and your abiding faith in Jesus have lifted me and taught me. I am ever in your debt.”
“I will never cease to pray for you, and I hope for your prayers for me,” he said, telling reporters right after his appointment was announced that in Boston, his first actions will be “visiting, listening, learning before I start setting priorities.”
Richard Garth Henning was born in Rockville Centre, New York, Oct. 17, 1964, to Richard and Maureen Henning, the first of five siblings. He grew up in Valley Stream, receiving the sacraments of baptism, first Communion and confirmation at Holy Name of Mary Parish, where he also attended the parish grammar school.
Archbishop Henning attended Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, going on to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from St. John’s University in the New York City borough of Queens. He studied for the priesthood at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, New York, and was ordained in 1992.
Priestly and academic career
Following his ordination, he was assigned to a local parish for five years and gained extensive pastoral experience working in the parish school and ministering to the Spanish-speaking Catholics of the area.
In 1997, then-Father Henning was assigned to postgraduate studies in sacred Scripture. He earned a licentiate in biblical theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington and a doctorate in the same subject from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
After his studies, Archbishop Henning joined the faculty of Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, where he taught Scripture for more than 10 years.
Archbishop Henning’s roles in Rockville Centre and Providence
In 2012, as part of the partnership for seminary formation among the dioceses of Rockville Centre, New York, and Brooklyn, New York, and the Archdiocese of New York, then-Msgr. Henning was appointed to lead Immaculate Conception Seminary through its transition to the largest retreat house in the Northeast. The ordinaries of Rockville Centre, Brooklyn and New York also charged him to establish and lead the Sacred Heart Institute for the ongoing formation of Catholic priests and deacons. Archbishop Henning is also noted for his work with international priests serving in the U.S.
In 2018, Pope Francis appointed then-Msgr. Henning as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, where he served as a regional vicar and later as the vicar for Clergy and Pastoral Planning.
In November 2022, Archbishop Henning was appointed the coadjutor bishop of Providence. He succeeded Bishop Thomas Tobin as the Bishop of Providence on May 1, 2023.
