Richard Henning was born on October 17, 1964, 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.[1] He graduated from Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York in 1982.[2]
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.[5] After his 1992 ordination, the diocese assigned Henning as an assistant pastor in a parish in Port Washington, New York.
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.[7]
In 2012, Henning was named rector of Immaculate Conception.[8] He oversaw the transition of Immaculate Conception from a seminary to hosting retreats and a formation program for the laity.[9] He also served as the inaugural director of the Sacred Heart Institute for the Ongoing Formation of Clergy, located in the Immaculate Conception facility.[10][11]
Bishop John O. Barres appointed Henning as vicar for pastoral planning in 2018 and vicar for clergy in Rockville Centre in 2021.[12]
Auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre
Coat of arms as auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre and as coadjutor bishop of Providence
Pope Francis appointed Henning as auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre on June 8, 2018.[3][13] 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.[5]
Coadjutor bishop and bishop of Providence
Coat of arms as bishop of Providence
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.[14][15] Henning succeeded as bishop of Providence on May 1, 2023, when Tobin retired.[16]
Archbishop of Boston
On August 5, 2024, Francis named Henning to succeed Seán Patrick O'Malley as archbishop of Boston.[17] 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."[7]
Henning was installed as archbishop in Boston on October 31, 2024.[18] He is fluent in Spanish and Italian and literate in French, Greek, and Hebrew.[19]
In his first six months as archbishop, Henning said that he had "been on probably more than a dozen college campuses," and "there has been something remarkable happening among the college students" regarding their interest in Catholicism.[20] He posited that Pope Leo XIX would be able to "receive what is happening among the youth and amplify it."
In 2025, Henning led a multi-day Eucharistic procession by boat, visiting several parish communities along the North Shore of Massachusetts Bay. Henning cited the difficulty in bringing the people of the diocese together and wanting to bring the eucharist to people as motivations for the procession. He suggested that eucharistic devotion is one factor driving increased interest in Catholicism in the archdiocese among college students and young adults.[20]
In June 2025, Henning received the pallium from Pope Leo XIV at a ceremony in Rome. Henning said he felt like a "deer in the headlights" as he approached Leo. He said the ceremony was a moment of being "taken possession of... by the life of the church," and that he would return to Boston with a "sense of renewal."[21]
Views
Abortion
Regarding abortion, Henning said he opposes it because all human life is sacred.
The question I always have to ask is, if the child in the womb is not human, then what is it?” There’s a truth here that needs space at the table, too, and for us, as Catholics, it’s really important that we keep standing up for that, and I will certainly do that.[22]
Catholic Church
Hennig in July 2025 stated that he thinks that the Catholic Church must emphasize Christ above all else. He has expressed that he feels the Holy Spirit urging that his ministry as a bishop be Christocentric. He contrasted this with the emphasis of the Church as "bureaucratic" institution, which he saw as making the Church into "something of a political animal."[20] Henning attended the 2024 Eucharistic Congress, which he lauded for having "the focus of every day [be] on the Lord himself."[20]
Henning has called himself a "big fan of communion ecclesiology," describing the Catholic Church as
a communion, but a communion forged by the Lord, and it all circles around the Son who is Christ. When we deepen our relationship with Christ, we are more perfectly bound to one another.[20]
I would like to express prayerful solidarity with the community of Annunciation Parish and school, Archbishop Hebda, and all the clergy, religious and faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis as today they suffer the effects of cruel violence. We pray seeking healing for the wounded, strength for the bereaved, and peace for the students who died while gathered with their classmates in prayer.[23]
Immigration
Henning expressed his approval of the statement of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November 2025 criticizing the policies of the Trump Administration on immigration and on the aggressive tactics being used by its agencies in enforcing these policies. Henning stated that Catholic teaching:
“...exhorts nations to recognize the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants...We bishops advocate for a meaningful reform of our nation’s immigration laws and procedures. Human dignity and national security are not in conflict.[24]
LGBTQ
In April 2023, Henning stated that same sex marriage "doesn't work in Catholic theology." However, he added that,
That doesn’t mean that the church hates people who have same-sex attraction. That doesn’t mean that they’re somehow evil or anything like that, right? All of us are sinners, in fact, in need of grace. I certainly am.[22]
During a 2024 news conference in Providence after his appointment as archbishop of Boston, Henning stated that his views on same-sex marriage aligned completely with those expressed by Pope Francis.[25]
Personal life
Henning has a fondness for praying by the ocean, jokingly calling the sea coast his "happy place." He has said praying by the sea has been important in his life.[20]
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