Dozens of people went to the Pastoral Center for the Archdiocese of Boston for a last-minute Mass to meet the Archbishop-Elect.
[ New archbishop of Boston ‘deeply shocked’ after Pope Francis picks him to replace Cardinal O’Malley ]
Some parishioners sang and prayed together and got to talk to the successor afterward.
It was a warm welcome from Cardinal Sean O’Malley to Richard Henning during a Monday morning at the Bethany Chapel.
“Oh, it’s a wonderful day it’s very exciting for the archdiocese we’ve been anticipating for a long time that at some point we would be getting a new archbishop and to find out that it’s somebody we already know who we have great affection is a wonderful, wonderful thing,” said Father Paul Soper, Secretary of Ministerial Personnel.
Sister Germana Santos said she’s the delegate for consecrated life, which means she’s the liaison between the Cardinal and the new Archbishop-elect and thousands of brothers and sisters in the archdiocese.
“It’s bittersweet in which we will miss Cardinal Sean he’s been a tremendous leader for this archdiocese and a great Shepard but it is also a wonderful new beginning the archbishop has been here many years and the pope accepted his resignation and now it’s time for a new bishop to come and to get to know us and to serve it and so I’m looking forward to working with him,” said Sister Santos.
Following the mass, some parishioners spoke with Henning before the press conference where he was officially announced by O’Malley as his successor.
“He’s going to be great for the archdiocese. He’s obviously a very holy man and he has a great pastor’s heart,” said Father Soper.
Henning is expected to step into his new role on October 31.
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