Richard Henning

{{Short description|American priest of the Catholic Church (born 1964)}}

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type =

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = Richard Garth Henning

| honorific-suffix =

| title = Archbishop of Boston

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| archdiocese = Boston

| diocese =

| appointed = August 5, 2024

| enthroned = October 31, 2024

| retired =

| predecessor = Seán Patrick O'Malley

| successor =

| other_post =

| ordination = May 30, 1992

| ordained_by = John R. McGann

| consecration = July 24, 2018

| consecrated_by = John Barres, William Murphy, and Robert J. Brennan

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1964|10|17}}

| birth_place = Rockville Centre, New York, US

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| nationality =

| alma_mater = Saint John's University (B.A. 1986; M.A. 1988)
Seminary of the Immaculate Conception
The Catholic University of America (LTh, 2000)
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (DTh, 2007)

| previous_post = {{bulleted list | Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre (2018–2022) | Coadjutor Bishop of Providence (2022–2023) | Bishop of Providence (2023–2024) }}

| coat_of_arms =

| motto = Put out into the deep

| parents = Richard and Maureen Henning

}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= Richard Garth Henning

| dipstyle=

| offstyle=Your Excellency

| relstyle=Archbishop

| image = Coat of arms of Richard Garth Henning (Boston).svg

| image_size = 200px

}}

Richard G. Henning is an American Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Boston since 2024. He previously served as Bishop of Providence from 2023 to 2024 and before that was an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Rockville Centre from 2018 to 2022.

Biography

= Early life =

Richard Henning was born in Rockville Centre, New York, growing up at Holy Name of Mary Parish and grade school. His father was a firefighter and his mother was a nurse. Henning credits their examples of service with inspiring his own vocation.{{Cite web |title=Who is Bishop Richard Henning, the new coadjutor bishop of Providence? |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/2022/11/23/richard-henning-new-providence-bishop-tobin/69673449007/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=The Providence Journal |language=en-US}} He graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York in 1982.{{cite news |date=June 8, 2018 |title=Graduate Appointed as Auxiliary Bishop |url=https://www.chaminade-hs.org/about/news/news-posts/~post/graduate-appointed-as-auxiliary-bishop-20180608 |accessdate=August 20, 2018 |work=Chaminade High School}}

Henning was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1986 and a Master of Arts degree in history from St. John's University in New York City in 1988. After graduation, he entered the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Lloyd Harbor, New York, for priestly formation.{{Cite web |title=Rinunce e nomine |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/11/23/0872/01829.html |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=press.vatican.va}}

= Priesthood =

On May 30, 1992, Henning was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rockville Centre by Bishop John R. McGann at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre.{{Cite web |title=Bishop Richard Garth Henning [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bhenning.html |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}} After his 1992 ordination, the diocese assigned Henning as an assistant pastor at served in a parish in Port Washington, New York.

In 1997, the diocese sent Henning to the Catholic University of America School of Theology in Washington, D.C., where he earned his Licentiate of Sacred Theology in biblical theology in 2000. He then spent the next two years in Rome working towards a Doctor of Theology degree in biblical theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, which he completed in 2007.{{Cite web |title=Rinunce e nomine |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/11/23/0872/01829.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=press.vatican.va}}

In 2002, Henning was appointed a professor of sacred scripture at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. Henning in 2008 co-authored the book, Christ Our Hope: Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Journey to the United States and Visit to the United Nations.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-06 |title=11 Things to Know About Boston’s New Archbishop-Elect Richard Henning |url=https://www.ncregister.com/news/11-things-to-know-archbishop-elect-henning |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=NCR |language=en}}

In 2012, Henning was named rector of Immaculate Conception.{{Cite web |title=Msgr. Henning Named Rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary, Director of New Institute |url=https://www.cny.org/stories/msgr-henning-named-rector-of-immaculate-conception-seminary-director-of-new-institute-,6681 |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Catholic New York |language=en}} He oversaw the transition of Immaculate Conception from a seminary to hosting retreats and a formation program for the laity.{{Cite web |title=Who We Are |url=https://www.icseminary.edu/who-we-are.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=SEMINARY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION |language=en}} He also served as the inaugural director of the Sacred Heart Institute for the Ongoing Formation of Clergy, located in the Immaculate Conception facility.{{Cite web |title=Rinunce e nomine |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/11/23/0872/01829.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=press.vatican.va}}{{Cite web |last= |date=2011-11-11 |title=New Single Program of Priestly Formation Announced by Archdiocese of New York, Diocese of Brooklyn |url=https://archny.org/new-single-program-of-priestly-formation-announced-by-archdiocese-of-new-york-diocese-of-brooklyn/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Archdiocese of New York |language=en-US}}

Bishop John O. Barres appointed Henning as vicar for pastoral planning in 2018 and vicar for clergy in Rockville Centre in 2021.{{Cite web |title=Rinunce e nomine |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/11/23/0872/01829.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=press.vatican.va}}

=Auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre=

File:Coat of arms of Richard Garth Henning.svg

Pope Francis appointed Henning as auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre on June 8, 2018.{{cite news |title=Pope Francis Names New Auxiliary Bishops of Rockville Centre and Washington |url=http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-096.cfm |accessdate=June 8, 2018 |work=US Conference of Catholic Bishops}}{{cite news |url= http://www.drvc.org/home/2018-press-releases/pope-francis-names-rev-msgr-richard-g-henning-as-auxiliary-bishop-of-diocese-of-rockville-centre.html |title= Pope Francis Names Rev. Msgr. Richard G. Henning as Auxiliary Bishop of Diocese of Rockville Centre |accessdate= June 8, 2018 }} He was consecrated by Barres at St. Agnes Cathedral on July 24, 2018, with Bishops William Murphy and Robert J. Brennan serving as co-consecrators.

= Coadjutor bishop and bishop of Providence =

File:Coat of arms of Richard Garth Henning (Providence).svg

On November 23, 2022, Francis appointed Henning as coadjutor bishop of Providence to assist Bishop Thomas J. Tobin. He was installed on January 26, 2023.{{Cite web |title=Rinunce e nomine |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2022/11/23/0872/01829.html |access-date=2022-11-23 |website=press.vatican.va}}{{cite news |url=https://www.drvc.org/wp-content/uploads/Final_media_release_Henning_11_23_22.pdf |title=POPE FRANCIS NAMES MOST REVEREND RICHARD G. HENNING COADJUTOR BISHOP OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND |accessdate=November 23, 2022}} Henning succeeded as bishop of Providence on May 1, 2023, when Tobin retired.{{cite press release | publisher = Holy See Press Office | access-date = May 1, 2023 | date = May 1, 2023 | url = https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2023/05/01/0324/00702.html | language = it | title = Rinunce e nomine, 01.05.2023 }}

= Archbishop of Boston =

On August 5, 2024, Francis named Henning to succeed Seán Patrick O'Malley as archbishop of Boston.{{Cite press release |title= Resignations and Appointments, 05.08.2024 |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2024/08/05/240805a.html |access-date=August 6, 2024|publisher= Holy See Press Office}} When asked in August 2024 about the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church, Henning replied;

“If there are Catholics who are scandalized, I understand why they’re scandalized. It’s scandalous and certainly painful for me over the course of my life. But it has not made me lose my faith in God or my faith in the possibility of reconciliation and new life, even in the midst of what may feel devastating. So I would say to them that if I have failed you, if a leader in their Church has failed you, I’m so sorry, but God has not failed you."

Henning was installed as archbishop in Boston on October 31, 2024.{{cite news |date=October 31, 2024 |title=Boston installs new Archbishop Richard Henning to succeed Cardinal Sean O'Malley |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/boston/news/boston-archbishop-richard-henning-installation/ |access-date=October 31, 2024 |publisher=CBS News}} He is fluent in Spanish and Italian and literate in French, Greek, and Hebrew.{{Cite web |title=Most Reverend Richard G. Henning |url=https://www.drvc.org/most-reverend-richard-g-henning/ |access-date=2022-12-06 |website=The Diocese of Rockville Centre |language=en-US}}

References

External links

[https://bostoncatholic.org/ Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Official Site]
[https://www.dioceseofprovidence.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence Official Site]
[http://www.drvc.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre Official Site]

{{succession box

| title = Archbishop of Boston

| before = Seán Patrick O'Malley

| after = Incumbent

| years = 2024-present|

}}

{{succession box

| title = Bishop of Providence

| before = Thomas Joseph Tobin

| after = Vacant

| years = 2023-2024|

}}