After 33-years of service, Bishop Matthew Clark is officially retired. He made the announcement Thursday.
Clark says the Pope accepted his resignation and appointed the Bishop of Syracuse, Robert Cunningham, as Apostolic Administrator until his replacement is named.
The Pope handles resignations in three ways. The most common one is accepting the resignation pending a new Bishop. But for Clark, he didn't choose that. Clark says he was a bit surprised by the Pope's decision, which started his retirement sooner. However, he adds the governance of the Rochester Diocese is in "excellent hands".
Cunningham says he's honored by the appointment.
"I come among you as a one who serves,"Cunningham says. "I want to help where ever i can especially to be a solid bridge that spans the time between Bishop Clark and whomever the 9th Bishop of Rochester may be."
The Buffalo native served as the 13th Bishop of Ogdensburg from 2004 until his appointment as the 10th Bishop of Syracuse.
Cunningham will oversee all aspects of the 12-county Diocese of Rochester. He says he plans to commute to Rochester from Syracuse once a week. To handle the challenge of managing two cities, Cunningham says he'll be delegating responsibilities.
Both Clark and Cunningham say they received word about the change two weeks ago.
Clark announced his retirement in July.