Bishop Henning is the 2023 Interfaith Speaker

BY JAMES W. FARLEY

The Interfaith/Ecumenical service became a significant part of the Fourth of July Celebration nearly 50 years ago. It began a tradition following the first celebration in 1785. The primary purpose was to bring all the churches and synagogue together to offer a day of prayer in a unified service to recognize God and Country.

To include everyone, the service will vary year to year to recognize the openness of the event. In some instances, the church or synagogue may be too small to accommodate those wishing to attend. In that case, other churches have offered their site.

The service includes reading from the Bible and other similar documents to be read by clergy. In addition, and to keep its patriotic tone, singing by soloists, choir, and congregation participate. Each year a speaker, not necessarily a cleric, is brought in to speak on a topic of their choice, that has a conciliatory and togetherness tone. It is to recognize, that while there are different faiths, we have more in common then we on occasion fail to recognize.

Past speakers have included admirals, other military or town officials, religious speakers, or individuals from the town in recognition of something that not only impacted them, but the community as a whole. As an example, the Interfaith Speaker in 2019 was to pay homage to Andrew McKenna, who lost his life in battle.

The service this year will take place at Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Church on the June 25 at 2:00 in the afternoon. There is a collation after the service as well as a free-will collection that benefits the East Bay Food Pantry on Wood Street.

The Interfaith service is an open event to anyone who wishes to attend, including those not affiliated with a House of Worship.

The featured speaker

Richard G. Henning, DD, STD, Bishop of the Diocese of Providence, will be the featured speaker for the 2023 Fourth of July Interfaith Service.

Bishop Henning was born in Rockville Centre, New York, in 1964 to Richard and Maureen Henning, the first of five siblings. He grew up in Valley Stream, a parishioner of Holy Name of Mary Parish, where he also attended its grammar school. He attended Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, and credits the Marianists as a major influence in his faith life and commitment to learning. He received a B.A. and M.A. in history from St. John’s University, Queens, New York, and received his training for the priesthood at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, New York.

He was ordained in 1992 and served for five years as an associate pastor at the Church of St. Peter of Alcantara, Port Washington, where he did extensive pastoral work in the large parish school and ministered to the Spanish-speaking, of mainly Salvadoran Catholics.

In addition to fluency in English and Spanish, Bishop Henning speaks Italian and is able to read French, Greek and Hebrew. He earned a Licentiate in Biblical Theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and a Doctorate in the same from the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Italy.

After his studies, Bishop Henning joined the faculty of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception in Huntington, where he taught scripture for more than ten years. In 2012, as part of the partnership for seminary formation among the Dioceses of Rockville Centre, Brooklyn, and the Archdiocese of New York, then Rev. Msgr. Henning was appointed to lead the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception through its transition to the largest retreat house in the Northeast.

Bishop Barres appointed Bishop Henning the Episcopal Vicar for the Central Vicariate of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in September of 2017. He was appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Center in June 2018. Since June 2021, Bishop Henning has also served as the Vicar for Clergy and Vicar for Pastoral Planning.

On Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022, the day before Thanksgiving, the faithful of the diocese got their first glimpse of the shepherd who will eventually succeed the eighth Bishop of Providence, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, D.D., when the Holy Father, Pope Francis, appointed Most Rev. Richard G. Henning, S.T.D, Coadjutor Bishop of Providence with the right of succession.

A surname likely familiar to those who follow the Annual Fourth of July Button Contest once again put forth the button design voted to be the overall winner for the 32nd annual competition for 2023.

Luke Daniel is a 15-year-old Mt. Hope sophomore who previously won the Grade 6-8 category in 2020 and 2021, and whose brother, Evan, won the grade K-5 category in 2015, the Grade 6-8 category in 2019, and designed the overall winner last year. Luke earned the top honor this year for his impressive button design featuring a Revolutionary War soldier carrying Old Glory. Luke is the son of Cherie and Eric Daniel.

Winning the category for students in Grades 6-8 was 13-year-old