SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts is getting a new bishop.
A spokesman for the diocese says Pope Francis on Thursday appointed Bishop Mitchell Thomas Rozanski as Springfield’s ninth bishop. Rozanski is currently an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Rozanski will succeed Bishop Timothy McDonnell who submitted his letter of resignation almost 18 months ago, as required by church law, on his 75th birthday.
McDonnell has been in Springfield since 2004.
Rozanski will be installed at a ceremony scheduled for Aug. 12 at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield.
The Springfield Diocese encompasses the four westernmost counties in Massachusetts and has 230,000 Catholics in 81 parishes.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
