National

New auxiliary bishops appointed for Washington, Rockville Centre

Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON — Pope Francis has appointed an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington and an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York.

The new Washington auxiliary, Bishop-designate Michael W. Fisher, 60, has served the archdiocese as episcopal vicar for clergy and secretary for ministerial leadership since 2006.

The new Rockville Centre auxiliary, Bishop-designate Richard G. Henning, 53, is rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, N.Y.

The appointments were announced June 8 in Washington by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Vatican nuncio to the United States.

“Msgr. Fisher brings to this ministry recognized talent and demonstrated ability,” Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl said in a statement. “In particular, his concern for his brother priests, dedication to priestly ministry and his kind yet directive leadership will be gifts to this local church as he serves in this new capacity.”

Cardinal Wuerl announced that Bishop-designate Fisher’s episcopal ordination will take place June 29, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Bishop-designate Henning’s episcopal ordination for Rockville Centre will be July 24.

In Rockville Centre, Bishop John O. Barres said the diocese “rejoices” over the appointment of Bishop-designate Henning, whom he praised for, among other things, his “pastoral charity and intelligence, his commitment to a demanding life of daily prayer (and) his love for the Hispanic community and evangelization.”

Since 2006 to present, Bishop-designate Fisher has served as vicar for clergy and secretary for ministerial leadership for the Washington Archdiocese. He also serves on the Redemptoris Mater Seminary Pastoral Council.

Born March 3, 1958, in Baltimore, he was ordained a priest for the archdiocese June 23, 1990. He has a bachelor of science degree in accounting (1985) from the University of Maryland in College Park and has a master of divinity degree and a master’s in church history (1990) from Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md.

Born Oct. 17, 1964, in Rockville Centre, Bishop-designate Henning was ordained for the diocese May 30, 1992, at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre. He has a bachelor of arts in history (1986) and a master of arts in history (1988) from St. John University in New York.

He attended the seminary where he now serves as rector. He has licentiates in biblical theology from, respectively, The Catholic University of America in Washington (2000) and the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, or the Angelicum, in Rome (2007).

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