BOSTON (WJAR) — On Thursday afternoon, former Bishop of Providence Richard Henning became the seventh archbishop of Boston at an investiture Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

Archbishop Richard Henning is the 7th archbishop of the diocese.

He succeeds his predecessor, Cardinal Seán O’Malley, who served as archbishop for over 20 years.

“He was really nice and humble, and you get a good bishop up here,” said Peter Hamm of Cumberland, Rhode Island.

Archbishop Henning previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Providence for just over a year.

“The moment a new bishop comes, what a transformative and blessed moment and a moment to love the bishop and the archdiocese,” said Susan Abbott of Boston.

While some enthusiastically welcomed the new archbishop, others have questions.

Protesters outside the cathedral hope the new leader will address years of alleged sexual abuse by clergy.

“We are here to protest against the fact that after Archbishop Henning takes office the same thing will still prevail,” said Dr. Robert Hoatson, the president of Road to Recovery. “He could reverse the whole mentality of an archbishop.”

Archbishop Henning thanked the demonstrators for coming and told them he would try and listen.

He even made promises during his first sermon to his new religious community.

“This church in Boston is in some ways a wounded church because it does not act with compassion,” Archbishop Henning said during his homily. “We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the victims and survivors who shared their stories because they protected future generations through their courage and truth-telling.”

Pope Francis has not yet named a successor to Providence. An administrator will soon be elected to govern the community until a decision is made.