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BRAINTREE -- At his farewell Mass at the Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul in Providence on Oct. 17, 2024, Archbishop of Boston Richard Henning said he does not know who will follow him as Bishop of Providence, but he does know what gift he will give his successor: a surfboard.
When Archbishop Henning, a lifelong lover of aquatic activities, preaches at confirmations in Rhode Island, he tells the young confirmands about his time as the pastor of a parish on a coastal island. He would play fetch on the beach with his dog, Agnes, in the early mornings and watch the surfers. He found them to be the opposite of their simple, laid-back portrayal in movies and television.
"Surfers are men and women of hard work and discipline," Archbishop Henning said. "They have great wisdom. Because, you see, if you want to be a surfer, you have to have the wisdom to pay close attention, even to see beneath the surface of the sea."
Like their relationship with Christ, Archbishop Henning tells the confirmands, surfing requires the devotion to see past appearances and enter icy waters.
"There's a kind of communion between the surfer and the wave," he said, "and for those few fleeting moments, there is the power of the sea. Then, I remind them what's being offered to them and the gift of faith, this communion with the one who made the sea, life itself."
It is a message that Archbishop Henning has given many times, but his preaching of it at the farewell Mass was different. It was an occasion for him to reflect on his time in Rhode Island as he prepared for his installation as Archbishop of Boston on Oct. 31.
"I feel a little bit like I've been invited to my own wake," he joked before the Mass began.
In his homily, he said that a few weeks before the Mass, he drove past a DMV building in Rhode Island with waves painted on the side.
"It struck me very deeply," he said. "These have been emotional weeks for me. It struck me so very deeply when I saw those waves and I thought about all the people that I have encountered across this state over these many months. And I thought about the truth that God is revealing to me."
He said that he is the surfer, and the Catholic people of Rhode Island are the wave he has rode upon.
"What I have seen in parish and community after parish and community are people who are friends with Jesus," he said, "because they know his grace and his mercy and how that overflows into their relationships."
In his brief time in Providence, he has seen generosity, love of neighbor, and deep faith even in times of suffering.
"I have seen these waves of divine love rippling through the state," he said.
To him, his brother priests make up their very own wave.
"On the ground, among our people, are good men who have given their lives, who have entrusted themselves to the grace of Our Lord, who are his friends who serve the people," he said.
He said that it is difficult to leave Rhode Island, but the state's faithful are in good hands with their presbyterate.
"I have had the privilege and the joy of standing up on my board and riding those waves, experiencing that oneness, that communion that comes with God," he said.
He also expressed his gratitude to the people of the diocese in Spanish, a language he speaks fluently.
"I wish I had the words to truly communicate to you my heart," he said. "I have so many emotions. As I said, gratitude is the one that comes first to my mind, but maybe also I should say to you how committed I am as I go forth from here to live all that you have taught me."
God has called him to shepherd Boston, he said, and he will go there having been formed "by waves of divine love that have lifted me and sent me forward in life."
"You are beautiful," he told the assembly. "I will never forget you. I will never forget to pray for you, and I hope you pray for me."
In remarks after Mass, Archbishop Henning remembered the first homily he gave as coadjutor bishop of Providence in January 2023. He expounded on "Hope," the state motto of Rhode Island and a word that is on the state flag. At the farewell Mass, he said that no matter what the diocese's future holds, there is still Jesus, his Gospel, and his presence in the Eucharist.
"I know that there are many challenges for us, especially in recent decades," he said. "I know that even now, we face further challenges. There have been hard decisions and difficult realities, but I hope during this year, I have reminded you a little bit of the truth that is really at our own heart and at the heart of the church."
He said that the most important part of the church isn't its buildings and institutions but Christ's grace and mercy.
"All we have to do is trust him and trust ourselves to him," he said, "for he has reminded us that nothing is impossible with God."
He thanked Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, his predecessor as diocesan bishop of Providence, and Bishop Robert C. Evans, who served as auxiliary bishop of Providence from 2009 to 2022. He also thanked the clergy and religious of the diocese, especially Vicar General Msgr. Albert A. Kenney, himself a Massachusetts native. The farewell Mass was held on Archbishop Henning's 60th birthday, and Msgr. Kenney had a gift prepared: A Massachusetts license plate reading HENNING. Msgr. Kenney joked that since the plate was made in Rhode Island, it might not be legal in Massachusetts.
"From that moment you held up the flag of the state of Rhode Island during your massive reception, you brought to the forefront for all of us a reminder that hope is essential for the disciples of Christ," Msgr. Kenney said, adding: "So from the bottom of our hearts, we say thank you for leaving us in the state of hope. Godspeed."