Pope Francis Names New Auxiliary Bishops of Rockville Centre and Washington

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has appointed the Rev. Msgr. Richard G. Henning as Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre and Rev. Msgr. Michael Fisher as Auxiliary Bishop of Washington.

Monsignor Henning is a priest of the diocese of Rockville Centre and currently serves as Rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, NY, and Director of the Sacred Heart Institute for the Ongoing Formation of Clergy. Monsignor Fisher is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and currently serves as Secretary for Ministerial Leadership and Vicar for Clergy.

The appointments were publicized today in Washington, D.C, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.

Rev. Msgr. Richard G. Henning was born October 17, 1964, in Rockville Centre, NY. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in history (1986) and a Master of Arts in History (1988) from St. John University, New York. He attended the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, and was ordained a priest on May 30, 1992 at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre. He received a licentiate in Biblical Theology in 2000 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, and a licentiate in Biblical Theology in 2007 from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum, in Rome.

Assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar at St. Peter of Alcantara Church, Port Washington, New York, 1992-1997. He was assigned to graduate studies from 1997 to 2002. During this time, he served as weekend, summer, and vacation help in a number of parishes including Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, Wyandanch, NY; Cathedral of St. Thomas More, Arlington, VA and; St. Patrick Parish in Washington, DC.

Msgr. Henning served as Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture, Immaculate Conception Seminary, 2002-2007; Full Professor of Sacred Scripture, Immaculate Conception Seminary, 2007-2012; and was the Formation Adviser at Immaculate Conception Seminary, from 2002-2012. Monsignor Henning also serves as a weekend assistant, St. Patrick Church, Bay Shore, NY, 2002-present. He also was weekend assistant (Spanish Language), St. Mary Church, Roslyn, NY, 2002-2016; weekend assistant (Spanish Language) at St. Matthew Church, Dix Hills, NY. Since July 2015 to present, Rev. Msgr. Henning has been an Administrator at Our Lady of the Magnificat, Ocean Beach, Fire Island, NY. He has also received Papal Honors of Chaplain to His Holiness (2008) and Knight of the Holy Sepulcher (2012).

Currently, he is a Consultor and a Trustee at St. Joseph Seminary, Dunwoodie, NY; adjunct professor of Sacred Scripture at St. Joseph Seminary in Dunwoodie, NY; and Episcopal Vicar, Central Vicariate of Rockville Centre.

Rev. Msgr. Michael Fisher was born March 3, 1958, in Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained a priest on June 23, 1990, in the Archdiocese of Washington. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting (1985) from University of Maryland, College Park and M. Div., and M.A., in Church History from Mt. St. Mary Seminary, Emmitsburg, MD (1990).   

Assignments after ordination include: Parochial Vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in La Plata, MD, (1990-1995); Pastor, Sacred Heart in Hillcrest Heights, from 1995-1999. Msgr. Fisher was then Pastor of St. John Neumann Parish in Gaithersburg (1999-2005). From 2005-2006, he was Vicar General (residing in St. Mark Parish, Hyattsville, MD). Since 2006 to present, he has served as Vicar for Clergy and Secretary for Ministerial Leadership for the Archdiocese.

In 2005, Msgr. Fisher was named Chaplain of His Holiness, with title of Monsignor. He has been a member of Priest Retirement Board, Priest Council, College of Consultors Diaconate Review Board, Deacons Council, Formation Board, Continuing Formation Board, Priest Convocation Board, and Chairman of the Clergy Personnel Board.

In 2006, Msgr. Fisher was Ecclesiastical Consultor to members of the Foundation Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice. Since 2016, he has also served on the Redemptoris Mater Seminary Pastoral Council.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre is comprised of 1,198 square miles in the state of New York and has a total population of 2,889,841 of which 1,524,639 or 52 percent, are Catholic.

Bishop John O. Barres, is the current bishop of Rockville Centre.

The Archdiocese of Washington is comprised of 2,104 square miles in the District of Columbia and Montgomery, Prince George's, St. Mary's, Calvert and Charles Counties in Maryland. It has a total population of 2,980,005 of which 655,601 or 22 percent, are Catholic.

Donald Cardinal Wuerl, is the current Archbishop of Washington.  

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Keywords: Bishop's appointment, Pope Francis, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio, Rev. Msgr. Richard G. Henning, Diocese of Rockville Centre, Rev. Msgr. Michael Fisher, Archdiocese of Washington, Auxiliary Bishop, Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Bishop John O. Barres

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