October 31, 2024 - Archbishop Richard G. Henning Installed as Seventh Archbishop of Boston

New Archbishop expresses gratitude and commitment to serve the Catholics of greater Boston 

Beginning with the traditional knock on the door to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the Most Reverend Richard G. Henning, S.T.D., entered into the life of the Archdiocese of Boston as its tenth bishop and seventh archbishop. 

Archbishop Henning was welcomed by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, who presented the new archbishop to the assembly.  

Representing the universal Church for this moment of great promise and new beginnings, Archbishop Henning was joined by some 1,400 guests including Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, five additional cardinals, five archbishops, more than fifty bishops, nearly five hundred priests, religious, deacons, seminarians, and the laity. Members of the Archbishop’s family including his parents Richard and Maureen, as well as leaders from the various interfaith community, government, business and parishes across the Archdiocese were also in attendance.

Archbishop Henning began his homily with the words “I believe!” He spoke about his faith in the Lord, his trust in Scripture, his love of the Eucharist and his devotion to the Church. He invited those listening to reflect on the consequences of our beliefs and the transforming power of entrusting ourselves to the Lord. He expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for the gift of this new ministry and gratitude to the people of Boston for the blessing of walking with them on the way of faith. He asked for the prayers of the faithful and invoked the intercession of Our Blessed Mother that he might give himself entirely to the Church of Boston. As he put it in his remarks: “I belong to the Lord, and I belong to you, the people of this Archdiocese.”

About the Installation 

The procession began at 1:30 p.m. The installation began with Archbishop Henning entering the Cathedral and following Church tradition with the knock on the cathedral's doors. After being welcomed by Cardinal Seán, the Archbishop was presented to the assembly.

Cathedral rector, Msgr. Kevin O'Leary presented the new Archbishop with a cross, which he kissed and also a vessel of holy water with which he sprinkled the assembly.

The Mass began with Cardinal Seán as principal celebrant. Once Archbishop Henning officially succeeded Cardinal Seán, the new archbishop celebrated the rest of the Mass. 

Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., read an English translation of the papal bull, or decree, from Pope Francis naming Archbishop Henning the Archbishop of Boston. Archbishop Henning then showed the bull to the Archdiocese's College of Consultors, which they inspected to ensure the papal seal on it was genuine. Once accepted, Archbishop Henning presented the bull to the entire assembly.

It is at this moment when Archbishop Henning was led to the cathedra(seat) of the archbishop and officially assumed his role as Archbishop of Boston. The Archbishop then proceeded to celebrate the Mass which included his homily and his expression of gratitude at the conclusion of the celebration. 

Following the installation, there was a reception open to the public at SoWa Open Market on Harrison Ave., only blocks away from the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Five parish watch events are also being planned, one in each region of the archdiocese: St. Francis in Braintree; St. Anthony in Cambridge; St. Julia in Weston; St. Theresa in North Reading; and All Saints in Haverhill.

Evening Prayer Service 

Last night the Archbishop joined the largely Hispanic community at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Revere for an evening prayer service. It is customary for the archbishop to pray evening prayer with the clergy and people on the night before his installation. Archbishop Henning had expressed his wish for this service to be in the Spanish language (with some elements in English), as a recognition of the archdiocese’s increasingly multicultural population, with Hispanics being among the largest communities.

Archbishop Henning expressed his gratitude to the parishioners of St. Anthony of Padua Parish for the warm and prayerful reception he experienced at the prayer service. In his homily, the Archbishop spoke of his friend Teresita and the way in which Hispanic communities have welcomed him as a “spiritual immigrant.” Arriving in Boston, he rejoices to join the Church of Boston in all its many communities. On the first Pentecost, the faithful understood the Apostles in their many languages. That “healing of Babel” did not erase differences. Instead, it united people of many nations in one faith. Archbishop Henning trusts that the Holy Spirit will continue to draw us together and to the Heart of Jesus. 

Archdiocese of Boston coverage of the Installation

The Installation Mass was broadcast live on CatholicTV. The celebration will be rebroadcast this evening at 8:00pm.