Archbishop-designate Richard G. Henning will be installed as the tenth bishop and seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston on Thursday, October 31, 2024 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Due to limited space, the Installation will be by invitation only, yet participation in the event is possible via livestream.
All are invited to watch the Installation Mass live on CatholicTV with this link beginning with the procession at 1:30 p.m. Click here to view the Mass Program
Below is an overview of the installation from The Pilot:
The installation will begin with Archbishop-designate Henning entering the cathedral. It is traditional for him to knock on the cathedral’s doors, and be welcomed by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, who will present the new archbishop to the assembly.
Cathedral rector, Msgr. Kevin O’Leary will present the new archbishop with a cross, which he will kiss. Msgr. O’Leary will then hand Archbishop-designate Henning vessel of holy water with which he will sprinkle the congregation.
The Mass will begin with Cardinal O’Malley as principal celebrant. Once Archbishop-elect Henning officially succeeds Cardinal O’Malley, the new archbishop will celebrate the rest of the Mass.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the U.S., will read an English translation of the papal bull, or decree, from Pope Francis naming Archbishop-designate Henning the Archbishop of Boston. Cardinal Pierre will then show the bull to the archdiocese’s College of Consultors.
The College of Consultors inspects the decree to make sure that the papal seal on it is genuine. Once it’s accepted, Cardinal Pierre will show the bull to the entire assembly.
Archbishop-designate Henning will then be led to the cathedra (seat) of the archbishop. The word cathedral originates from the cathedra, which is literally the seat of the bishop’s authority. When Archbishop-designate Henning sits on the cathedra, he officially assumes his role as Archbishop of Boston, and the assembly will be invited to respond with their applause. In his homily and his remarks at the end of the Mass, Archbishop Henning will address the assembly and the whole archdiocese.