BRAINTREE -- On Sept. 11, 2001, Msgr. Robert Clerkin was looking forward to the Mets-Pirates game.

Msgr. Clerkin was pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Patchogue, in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which covers most of Long Island, New York. He was on vacation, heading to Pittsburgh to catch the game. As was usual when Msgr. Clerkin was away from St. Francis, then-Father Richard G. Henning, now Archbishop of Boston, covered for him. With travel at a standstill after the morning's terrorist attacks, Archbishop Henning had to take over the parish until Msgr. Clerkin could return.

"He knew just what to do," Msgr. Clerkin recalled to The Pilot on Sept. 30.

In the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Msgr. Clerkin said, "everybody knows somebody who died in the Twin Towers."

Several students in the St. Francis Parish school lost parents who worked in the World Trade Center. In the aftermath of the attacks, Archbishop Henning reached out to students and faculty who were affected.

"He did a wonderful job," Msgr. Clerkin said. "He was a great comfort to the people. People went to the church because they needed to pray. They didn't know what was happening, and I think he had that reassurance."

Archbishop Henning had a great respect for first responders. His father was a New York City firefighter, and he brought his father's helmet to Mass shortly after the attacks.

"He's not just an intellectual," Msgr. Clerkin said. "He also comes from a family that's very grassroots people, very salt-of-the-earth. He's very proud of his dad, and the vocation of being a first responder."

When Msgr. Clerkin could finally return to St. Francis, he was "humbled" seeing the "pastoral touch" of the priest he had known since he was a young man. Every year on Sept. 11, Msgr. Clerkin would call Archbishop Henning and thank him for shepherding his parish through the attacks.

The Pilot spoke to several clergy from the Diocese of Rockville Centre who knew Archbishop Henning. All of them described him as a wise leader, a compassionate priest, and a loyal friend.

"If you work closely with the archbishop, you're a blessed man," Msgr. Thomas Coogan, pastor of St. Dominic Parish in Oyster Bay, told The Pilot in a Sept. 20 interview. "You got a great one."

Msgr. Coogan spent 12 years as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Bay Shore, where Archbishop Henning would frequently help out. Archbishop Henning, who is fluent in Spanish, founded that parish's Hispanic community. It now has 1,000 parishioners.

"As a priest, he's a real servant of the people," Msgr. Coogan said. "Very thoughtful. Even though he's got a great gift for administration, he listens to who he's talking to, and very quickly he understands what they need, how they're hurting."

Archbishop Henning's first pastoral assignment was at St. Peter of Alcantara Parish in Port Washington. He learned Spanish in order to minister to the small Hispanic population there. At Sunday dinners, Msgr. Clerkin's parents would regale him with stories about "Father Rich" and his accomplishments in the parish.

"He had a great love for the Hispanic community," he said. "He wanted to be able to be a priest to them. He wanted to do that because he wanted to be there for the people. He wanted them to know that there was a priest who cared for them, who understood them, who could pray for them, who could listen to their confessions."

Archbishop Henning immersed himself in the different Hispanic cultures present within the parish. Msgr. Clerkin, who is now pastor of St. Peter's, said that the parish has a thriving Hispanic ministry. He attributes that to Archbishop Henning's ministry.

"That was a very big thing," he said, "to be able to get an Irishman to be comfortable not only reading Spanish, but preaching in it."

And the Hispanic community came to see Archbishop Henning as their priest.

"He's been a huge advocate for the Spanish community everywhere that he served," said Father Steve Pietrowski, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Lake Ronkonkoma.

Father Pietrowski said he was not surprised that Archbishop Henning is currently learning Portuguese to enhance his ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston.

"He takes seriously that role as a shepherd to every person," he said. "I think his ability to learn and to listen and respond as a shepherd is important, and is a dynamic part of his ministry."

Father Pietrowski and Archbishop Henning were classmates at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York, and were both ordained to the priesthood in 1992.

Father Pietrowski called Archbishop Henning "one of the kindest, most intelligent men I know," adding that he is "an amazing priest, and truly a really brilliant and humble man."

The two men have known each other since they were 18-year-olds in a college seminary program. Both men were educated in Catholic schools and have fathers who were firefighters.

"We were both raised in very good Catholic families," Father Pietrowski said, "but you need to support one another in the ministry. You also need your brother priests to continue to encourage you."

Father Pietrowski took a brief leave from ministry due to a health issue and relocated to Florida for several years. When he returned to Rockville Centre, Archbishop Henning's support for him "was a huge gift."

"I'm not surprised that the Holy Father would single him out with such an honor," he said, "because I think he is authentically the person you see. He is a humble guy. I know I keep saying that over and over again, but it is the truth."

Father Pietrowski has many nieces and nephews who live in Boston.

"Knowing that he's there and is going to be caring for them is very exciting," he said.

Father Gerard Gentleman, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Massapequa, first met Archbishop Henning when he was a seminarian.

"He was always very helpful," Father Gentleman told The Pilot. "He had a good sense of what was going on."

Father Gentleman described Archbishop Henning as an encouraging presence during hard times, as vocations declined and the Diocese of Rockville Centre filed for bankruptcy in 2020 due to hundreds of impending lawsuits from victims of clergy sexual abuse. Archbishop Henning faced these challenges with kindness and humility.

"Bishop Henning was always concerned about his brother priests, very present to them," Father Gentleman said. "And I think the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston will soon experience that. Very much so."

When Father Gentleman was hospitalized for gallbladder surgery, Archbishop Henning called to check up on him, and offered to cover First Communion in Father Gentleman's parish.

"That was just a great example of his pastoral heart," Father Gentleman said. "He just jumped at the chance to do something so normal for us."

Msgr. Clerkin first met Archbishop Henning when he was a student at St. John's University. He was a parochial vicar at Holy Name of Mary, Archbishop Henning's childhood parish in Valley Stream, New York. Msgr. Clerkin also met the archbishop's parents and siblings, who attended Mass there regularly.

"His vocation probably was nurtured in that parish, coming from his parents, who were lovely people," Msgr. Clerkin said. "One thing that struck me is that the family was very faithful in coming to church."

Archbishop Henning worked in the sacristy on the weekends, and took the job seriously. Even then, the priests had confidence in him.

"He was very friendly, but he also paid great attention to the sacristy, to the liturgical responsibilities that he had," Msgr. Clerkin said. "He had a great sense of humor, and he got along very well with the priests on staff."

When Archbishop Henning expressed his desire to become a priest, his mother asked Msgr. Clerkin whether her son would be happy in the priesthood.

"I think he'd be very happy being a priest," he told her. "He's the kind of guy we're looking for. He's the kind of person we really need to be a priest."

When Archbishop Henning was ordained, his first assignment turned out to be at Msgr. Clerkin's parish: St. Peter's.

"I took care of your family," he told Archbishop Henning. "Now you're going to be taking care of my family."

At St. Peter's, Archbishop Henning was intensely involved in the parish school, which had a full enrollment. He had an office in the school and would teach classes there.

"He hit the ground running," Msgr. Clerkin said. "He was exactly what everyone wanted in a newly-ordained priest. He was enthusiastic, he was very, very happy."

Msgr. Clerkin said that at St. Peter's School, Archbishop Henning was a role model to the students, a resource for the teachers, and a friend to the parents.

"He had a daily presence," he said. "He just dove into it."

In 2002, Archbishop Henning joined the faculty of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception. There, he gained a reputation as a happy, optimistic priest who could navigate any crisis.

"He was just exuding a sense of confidence in his priesthood, and he wanted to share that with others," Msgr. Clerkin said.

At the time Archbishop Henning was teaching Scripture in the seminary, Msgr. Coogan was the director of vocations there.

"He was always thoughtful, he was always hardworking," said Msgr. Coogan, who has known Archbishop Henning for 30 years. "But as he's tackled big things, he's developed more confidence in his mission in the church."

Msgr. Coogan said that seminary professors are supposed to be role models, and that's exactly what Archbishop Henning was. Each year, the seminary had a college day where young men considering the priesthood could discover what it was like to be a seminarian for a day. Archbishop Henning was supposed to be on vacation at the time, but he came back to teach the college students.

"His talk was always very, very inspiring to the men who were discerning," Msgr. Coogan said. "He was a great resource for vocations."

On Nov. 23, 2022, the day that Archbishop Henning was named coadjutor bishop of Providence, Msgr. Coogan's mother died. Even on such a busy day, Archbishop Henning took the time to call Msgr. Coogan and offer his condolences.

"He's a very good friend," Msgr. Coogan said.

When Msgr. Clerkin's father died, Archbishop Henning concelebrated his funeral Mass, even though it was on the day that he was to leave for Providence.

"That's the kind of guy he is," Msgr. Clerkin said. "Those are the little things that make a difference."

Archbishop Henning was Deacon John Hogan's professor when he was studying for the permanent diaconate. Archbishop Henning guided Deacon Hogan's studies, and taught him about the responsibilities of being a deacon.

"The first word that came to mind was wonderful," Deacon Hogan told The Pilot on Sept. 25. "Very open, very knowledgeable, scary smart, and always approachable to the members of my ordination class."

After Deacon Hogan's ordination, he had the "pleasure" of working with Archbishop Henning on strategic planning for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. Deacon Hogan described the archbishop as "always organized, always attentive, and always pastoral."

"You couldn't ask for a better boss," he said.

As vicar of the Central Vicariate of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Archbishop Henning would visit parishes and speak with priests and their parishioners.

"I don't think a day goes by where he doesn't think of the congregation, of the flock, of the people that he shepherds," Deacon Hogan said. "I don't think a minute goes by that he doesn't think of them."

Deacon Hogan said he was struck by Archbishop Henning's "humanity" and his ability to listen to people. When the two men would meet, the archbishop would always consider Deacon Hogan's thoughts and ideas.

"He's just a good guy," he said. "He's a regular guy. And I don't think you can ask for more."

In 2012, Archbishop Henning became rector of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, and was responsible for overseeing its transition into a retreat center. When the diocese held clergy conferences at the seminary, Archbishop Henning was responsible for setting up the conferences and attending to every detail, right down to the meals served. Details, Msgr. Clerkin explained, are Archbishop Henning's specialty. His sense of humor, firm handshake, and disarming chuckle made him an expert at hospitality.

"He has this subtle kind of laugh that puts people at ease," Msgr. Clerkin said. "There was always a smile on his face."

Archbishop Henning once took Msgr. Clerkin on a walking tour of Rome. The archbishop knew all the sights, from the grand Baroque churches to the best restaurants. The two men even concelebrated Mass with Pope St. John Paul II in the Apostolic Palace. Msgr. Clerkin was astonished to think that the man he once knew as a college freshman working in the sacristy was now celebrating Mass alongside the pope.

"Those are memorable occasions that I saw Rich in a different atmosphere," he said. "It's not the parish, it's not the seminary, it's on a universal level."

When Archbishop Henning was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Msgr. Clerkin had to stop calling him "Rich" and start calling him "bishop." Msgr. Clerkin described Archbishop Henning as being unflappable through confirmations, meetings, and troubleshooting. He did the right thing at the right time, with that signature handshake and chuckle.

Msgr. Clerkin said that those qualities will make Archbishop Henning a great Archbishop of Boston -- though his flock may have to convert him to being a Red Sox fan.

"I think he's going to be a priest's priest," Msgr. Clerkin said about the archbishop's new assignment in Boston. "He loves the priesthood, and he's very fair, and I think he has the best interests of the church, and he certainly has his love for Jesus at the very root and foundation of his vocation, going back to when he was a kid."