WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Pope Francis has appointed a Los Angeles bishop to lead a southern Minnesota diocese.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced Thursday that Francis has appointed Bishop Robert E. Barron to lead the Diocese of Winona-Rochester. Barron has served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for the last seven years and regularly posts YouTube videos.
He will replace 76-year-old Bishop John Quinn, who has decided to resign.
The Diocese of Winona-Rochester covers 12,282 square miles. Nearly 600,000 people reside in the diocese. About 134,000 of them are Catholics. The diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and announced a $21.5 million settlment with 145 survivors of clergy sexual abuse last year.
Barron issued a statement on his Word on Fire website saying he will take over in Minnesota on July 29. He said he was “overjoyed and humbled” to learn of the appointment.
