BRAINTREE -- Father Gregory Stowe, pastor of St. Joseph Church in West Warwick, Rhode Island, says that the Diocese of Providence is a lot like the Archdiocese of Boston.

"You have an Irish parish on one corner and an Italian parish on another," Father Stowe told The Pilot in a Sept. 30 interview.

When Archbishop of Boston Richard Henning became bishop of Providence in May 2023, his first order of business was to create a pastoral plan for his diocese. He visited almost every parish to learn about their strengths and challenges and how they had been faring. He checked up on the priests to make sure that they felt supported by the diocese.

"He's a man of very deliberate action," said Father Stowe, who served under Archbishop Henning as a dean. "He takes in a lot and really discerns upon it before making decisions."

Father Stowe was one of several priests from the Diocese of Providence who spoke to The Pilot about Archbishop Henning's time as their shepherd. All of them mentioned Archbishop Henning's dedication to visiting parishes throughout the diocese, learning about their congregations, and supporting their priests.

"Bishop Henning is the real deal," Father Stowe said. "You guys are very blessed and the church is very blessed, but the Diocese of Providence, it's a tough one for us. He's just a true, genuine shepherd."

Father Joseph Brice, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Providence, said that Archbishop Henning's move from Providence to Boston is "our loss, your gain."

Speaking to The Pilot on Oct. 2, Father Brice said that Archbishop Henning is "very down-to-earth."

"He has a clear idea of what he would want to accomplish," Father Brice added. "A good listener, a very kind man, very supportive of any idea."

Archbishop Henning was eager to learn all about his diocese, visiting almost every parish and school and attending events he was invited to whenever possible. In one year, he put 30,000 miles on his car in a state that is only 48 miles long and 37 miles wide. His visits excited the people of the parishes, which Archbishop Henning considered to be the lifeblood of the diocese.

"They loved their bishop because the bishop went out and met them," Father Brice said.

Archbishop Henning also met individually with every priest.

"He wanted to understand me," Father Brice said. "What I like, what I see myself doing, what I've been doing, if I'm happy."

Archbishop Henning also had a habit of calling parishes and asking to celebrate Mass there. The first time Father Brice met Archbishop Henning, he wanted to celebrate 7 a.m. Mass on Ash Wednesday.

"Be my guest," Father Brice told him.

After Mass, Archbishop Henning sat down and had breakfast with the clergy "as though he were a regular parish priest."

"That is a game changer," Father Brice said.

Father Stephen Battey, pastor of St. John Paul II Parish in Pawtucket and spiritual director of Our Lady of Providence Seminary, recalled Archbishop Henning's visit to his parish. The archbishop stayed for 90 minutes, had dinner, and met with every single person there.

"He was deeply interested in learning who they were, what's their story," Father Battey told The Pilot on Oct. 8. "When people see that their shepherd deeply cares for them and is very involved, it brings a lot of hope and invigoration to them."

Father Battey added: "He is the face of our Lord present with them."

Father Battey also met with Archbishop Henning. During the one-hour meeting, Archbishop Henning listened to Father Battey's concerns and "offered practical, on-the-ground responses."

"He's kind of seen it all," Father Battey said. "He's been a pastor; he's taught in seminaries. He has a very diverse background."

Archbishop Henning communicated closely with Our Lady of Providence's former rector, Father Christopher Murphy, and appointed Father Ryan Connors to succeed him in 2024. After Father Connors's installation, Archbishop Henning stayed "for many, many hours" to have dinner and coffee with the seminarians, listen to them, and pray for their intentions. They hung onto his every word.

"You could tell that the seminarians were drawn to him," Father Battey said.

Father William Ledoux, pastor of Holy Apostles Parish in Cranston, first met Archbishop Henning when he was serving as coadjutor bishop of Providence alongside Bishop Thomas Tobin.

"I find him a faith-filled individual that truly embraces the aspect of being a good shepherd," Father Ledoux told The Pilot on Sept. 30. "A faithful bishop, an excellent preacher, and easy to work with."

On the day he was installed as bishop of Providence, Archbishop Henning preached to the packed Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul about hope, a word that is emblazoned on Rhode Island's flag and is the state's motto.

"He was able to use the flag of our great state in a model of him being that hope in the days and weeks ahead when he would become our ordinary, and he has truly been our hope," Father Ledoux said.

He also remembered Archbishop Henning as a "wonderful friend" who was willing to offer assistance to any priest when he needed it.

"When he spoke to us, he spoke to us as that bishop, as that shepherd, but also walking with us, praying with us, and leading with us," he said.

Michael Kieloch, director of communications and public relations for the Diocese of Providence, met regularly with Archbishop Henning. Speaking to The Pilot on Oct. 4, Kieloch said that Archbishop Henning's priorities were knowing "the people of God" and showing "brotherly love" to his priests.

"He's pretty fantastic to work with as a bishop," Kieloch said. "He's very dedicated, and he's very giving of himself in terms of time and dedication to the work of the diocese."

Kieloch said that due to Archbishop Henning's extensive academic background, he's a good student when learning about the issues that the diocese faces, especially those that affect the material and spiritual lives of clergy.

"I think he's a man of great joy, and that comes across in your interactions with him," he said. "He's very agreeable. Everyone really enjoys being in his presence and spending time with him."

The whole diocese was anxious over who Bishop Tobin's successor would be. When Kieloch spoke to Archbishop Henning for the first time on the phone, his anxiety disappeared.

"He's going to be great for us," Kieloch recalled thinking at the time. "It was such an easy conversation, and we were able to plan what we needed to plan."

As for visiting every parish in the diocese, Kieloch said: "That's not a small feat."

"He really got to know the state on a deep level, and I think that speaks volumes about him," he said. "He likes to be among people, among the flock. I'm sure he'll continue that in his new role in Boston."