Diocesan faithful bid farewell to Archbishop Henning

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The mood of the night was bittersweet as hundreds filled the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul to participate in Archbishop Richard G. Henning’s farewell Mass as shepherd of the Diocese of Providence. Even the principal celebrant acknowledged the pall that hung in the air as his farewell Mass began.
“I feel like I’ve been invited to my very own wake, so you’re going to have to help me, you’re going to have to laugh tonight. That’s what you do at wakes, you laugh, and you tell stories,” Archbishop Henning said, with a smile and a chuckle, which the participants returned warmly in response.
The Mass was offered on Oct. 17, Archbishop Henning’s 60th birthday, as he heads north to be installed as the Archbishop of Boston on October 31.
Consistent with the theme of the power of the sea, which captivated him as a boy and later as the pastor of a parish on a barrier beach along the southern shore of his native Long Island, the archbishop, in his homily, recalled the indelible impact watching surfers practice their sport had on him. He said that while the stereotypes in movies sometimes present surfers as foolish risk takers and not always the most intelligent, he discovered the opposite is true as he has found surfers to be men and women of hard work and discipline, while possessing an innate ability to ride the waves to carry them as far as possible.
“They have wisdom to know what’s under the surface, the contour of the seafloor and how it shapes each wave and where it will break. They learn, they pay attention, they look past the surface,” Archbishop Henning said. “Surfers work hard and practice … It requires hard work and devotion.”
It’s a message he feels resonates with young people especially and uses it to teach those about to be confirmed that at the heart of the sacrament is a deepening of the call to Jesus. Archbishop Henning also described the feeling that came over him on a recent drive by Rhode Island’s Department of Motor Vehicles,whose headquarters is adored with waves resembling those on the state’s license plates.
“These have been emotional weeks for me,” he said, noting how he was finding it difficult to say goodbye to the Diocese of Providence after only 15 months since he became the diocesan bishop from coadjutor bishop, on May 1, 2023.
As he saw those waves, he thought about all of the people whom he has encountered across the state in his time here.
“In the truth that God has revealed, I’ve been no more than a surfer. You are the wave,” Archbishop Henning said.
“What I’ve seen in parish after parish are people who are friends with Jesus. I’ve seen people who’ve seen the word of God and do it. I’ve seen people that are generous and caring for their neighbors in need, who give of themselves when they don’t have a lot. I’ve seen communities of faith. I’ve been in schools where young people ask deep questions and have a longing to know the Lord, even in the midst of a secular society. I’ve seen people at prayer and who suffer, nonetheless. Time and time again I have seen these waves of divine love rippling through this state.”
He called particular attention to the diocese’s Special Religious Education (SPRED) program, noting how one of the greatest gifts he’s received was a wooden box with his name carved in it, given to him by the SPRED Community. Inside, there were prayers and greetings and a welcome message for him.
“The SPRED program is a beautiful expression of the truth of the Gospel, where people with pure hearts give glory to God, and walk with each other on the journey of life.”
During the bilingual Mass, which was accompanied by joyful singing in Spanish, as well as cantors singing in English, Archbishop Henning blessed a large icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which will now have a place of greater prominence in the cathedral’s Mary chapel.
“Father Nolasco finally got me to bring the icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe up from the hall for a new location, where she adorns this cathedral with her love for her son, her great faith and her great witness,” he said.
In a continuation of the wave theme in his homily, Archbishop Henning said that as he’s traveled across the diocese, he’s also seen the wave that is the priests, his brothers.
“The truth is on the ground, among our people, are good men who have given their lives, who have entrusted themselves to the grace of the Lord, who are his friends who serve the people of God with great joy and love for the Lord,” he said.
“So, I know, as difficult as it is to leave Rhode Island, that you are in good hands. Some of those men are here tonight. Some of the men preparing to be pastors and priests are here tonight. Some of our brother deacons who assist them and strengthen them are here tonight. I’ve seen the religious of this state living that joyful witness to the charity of God, the poverty of God.”
Among the many emotions he has been experiencing as he prepares for his next calling, gratitude is the one that comes first to his mind.
“If God wants me to go to Boston I have to go. But I will go there prepared by you, my waves of divine love that have lifted me and sent me forward in life and given me that truth in communion. Providence, you are beautiful. I will never forget you. I will never forget to pray for you. And I hope you will pray for me,” he said to fervent applause.
Moderator of the Curia Msgr. Albert A. Kenney presented Archbishop Henning with a special gift at the end of Mass.
He spoke of how the past five bishops of Providence, beginning with Bishop Russell J. McVinney, D.D., LL.D., were all issued the same low number Rhode Island license plate: 364.
“So, it’s really become part of the patrimony of our diocese,” Msgr. Kenney said, before turning his attention to the cathedra.
“Archbishop Henning, as you transition to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I want to use a Rhode Island phrase when I say, Not for nothing, but we’re going to ask for the license plate back; it belongs here!”
Not wanting the archbishop to leave empty handed, he then held aloft a red, white and blue Massachusetts license plate embossed with HENNING across its face, drawing laughter and applause from those gathered, noting that while it looks authentic, it was made in Rhode Island and so he doesn’t think it would be legal across the state line.
Msgr. Kenney then asked for God’s blessing for the archbishop on his 60th birthday and for his parents, who gave him life and whose love has sustained him throughout his priestly ministry. He also offered thanks to Almighty God for bringing the archbishop to the Diocese of Providence.
“From that moment you held up the flag of the State of Rhode Island, during your Mass of Reception, you brought to the forefront for all of us a reminder that hope is essential for the disciples of Christ. Hope distinguishes us as followers of the risen Jesus. I truly believe it attracts others to follow Jesus as well. So, from the bottom of our hearts, we say  ‘thank you,’ for leaving us in the state of hope. Godspeed.”
Before the closing prayer, Archbishop Henning spoke of how, when talking to the priests, he told them that while he was sorry to be moving on from Rhode Island, that there was kind of a silver lining in it for them.
“Now, you got a guy, so when you come to Boston, look me up,” he said, to rousing laughter from the crowd.
“As they say in Brooklyn and in Johnston, ‘I love yous guys,’” he said, with a broad smile before proceeding to the cathedral hall for a reception.
Father Jairon Olmos Rivera, assistant pastor of St. Michael and St. Charles Borromeo parishes in Providence, was the first deacon that Archbishop Henning ever ordained.
“He supported me a lot. He is like a father to me,” Father Jairon said. “The Archdiocese of Boston, they are getting the best.”
Father Patrick Ryan, parochial vicar at St. Philip Parish, Greenville, was the first priest ever ordained by Archbishop Henning.
“It’s a great honor to have been ordained by Bishop Henning,” he said. “We all love him, we’re sorry to see him go, but very happy for the people of Boston, he’ll do great things up there.”
Glenn Dupont, a pilgrim who attended the National Eucharistic Congress in July, said he was very impressed with the way the archbishop interacted with the Providence delegation.  
He said that one of the standout moments for him was the Mass the group had at the Omni Hotel, in Indianapolis.
“I reserved a spot one night for the group, and he sat between me and my roommate, and it was cool to be right there with him and be so close and adore the Lord in adoration. He was truly a shepherd that was close to the flock,” Dupont said. “I came to the Mass tonight because I wanted to say, ‘Thank you’ for everything he’s done while being here and to wish him well in the future.”
Seminarian Jay Zizza, studying in third theology at St. John’s Seminary, Boston, said he found Archbishop Henning’s homily to be “quite beautiful.”
“I especially liked his focus on how the people empowered him throughout the year; it was really quite incredible. It showed how much he truly dedicated himself to the diocese, how much he would visit the parishes and was able to see the waves that he was speaking of. That really impressed me,” he said. “Overall, the joy of the people was quite evident throughout the procession and that impressed me as well.”
Father Michael Najim, vicar for priests and pastor of St. Philip Parish, Greenville, said it has been an honor to serve with Archbishop Henning.
“Working with him has been an honor,” he said. “One of the things that I’ve seen from him is that he’s a true disciple. He’s a phenomenal bishop, but at heart he’s a disciple. He’s inspired me and I think he’s inspired all the other priests to be more committed to living out our vocation.”
State Deputy Joseph Carrignan, of the St. Joan of Arc Knights of Columbus, said that Archbishop Henning has left his mark on the diocese.
“Our missions together all parallel each other,” Carrignan said. “We all believe in Christ, and we try to convey that message to our people. Bishop Henning, in his short time here, left a lasting legacy and a lasting message to our Knights of Columbus. He’s had a refreshing message and is a refreshing individual to have here.”
Raymond Hedenskog, a parishioner at St. Joseph’s Parish, Cumberland, said he was pleased with the large turnout at the Mass.
“I love the atmosphere. I loved seeing the support everybody gave the bishop,” he said. “He was involved with the whole community. You need someone who’s out there with the people. God bless him, and I hope I see him again. And happy birthday.”
Senior priest Father Jack Unsworth said that he would have preferred that Archbishop Henning stayed in Providence, for reasons including that Boston’s restaurants have nothing on those in Rhode Island’s Capital City, but more seriously that he had already been making a positive impact in the diocese. 
“For us older priests, he took the faith we already had, and he illumined it, and he began to steer the ship of our diocese in a positive direction, and we regret that he didn’t get as far as we would like him to go, but we know that this is God’s Will, not ours, so we let him go,” he said. “But we’re always going to be grateful for what he did for us while he was here.”
Kayla Kelliher, 24, a parishioner at St. Patrick Parish, Providence, said she sees a lot of humility in Archbishop Henning.
“People have seen him pray here by himself after Mass before. I’m just thinking of all the memories of things I’ve heard that people said about him, and just how hospitable he is. … He is so personable, and he really is here for the community, and I feel like he thinks that the Body of Christ is for everybody,” Kelliher said.
“I think there was just great elegance and wisdom in his homily, and it was such a feeling of warmth and love. I’m going to miss him a lot, but I’m glad that he was here,” said Kelliher’s fiancé Nick Rodrigues, 31, also of St. Patrick Parish, Providence.
“I’m just thankful for the day, for the Mass, and the ability to say bye to him. … He preaches hope a lot. I’ve learned to keep my faith no matter what,” said Chris Hoyle, of St. Timothy Parish, Warwick.
Kevin Blais, of St. John Vianney, Cumberland, said Archbishop Henning has been a great shepherd for the Diocese of Providence. “We’re going to miss him,” he said.
Judy Tolentino, a security officer for the diocese, has often seen Archbishop Henning both in and around the cathedral and is very impressed with the way he takes on even small tasks himself.
“He’s a very humble man. I’ve seen him light his own candles,” Tolentino said. “He understands what God wants from him.”
With reports from Correspondent Cole DeSantis.