Early life Richard Garth 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. He graduated from
Chaminade High School in
Mineola, New York in 1982. 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 (New York City) in 1988. After graduation, he entered the
Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in
Lloyd Harbor, New York for priestly formation.
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. After his 1992 ordination, the diocese assigned Henning as an assistant pastor 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. 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. In 2012, Henning was named rector of Immaculate Conception. He oversaw the transition of Immaculate Conception from a seminary to hosting retreats and a formation program for the laity. He also served as the inaugural director of the Sacred Heart Institute for the Ongoing Formation of Clergy, located in the Immaculate Conception facility. Bishop
John O. Barres appointed Henning as vicar for pastoral planning in 2018 and vicar for clergy in Rockville Centre in 2021.
Auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre Pope Francis appointed Henning as auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre on 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. Henning succeeded as bishop of Providence on May 1, 2023, when Tobin retired.
Archbishop of Boston On August 5, 2024, Francis named Henning to succeed
Seán Patrick O'Malley as archbishop of Boston. 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." He is fluent in Spanish and Italian and literate in French, Greek, and Hebrew. 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. He posited that
Pope Leo XIV 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. ==Views==