Bishop Retires from Rochester Diocese

The Star-Gazette
September 22, 2012

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20120921/NEWS/309210041/Bishop-Clark-retires-from-Rochester-diocese?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE&gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

Bishop Matthew Clark, who is the eighth bishop of Rochester, explains the process of his retirement. / File Photo

Bishop Matthew H. Clark announced Friday morning that his resignation from the Diocese of Rochester was accepted by the Pope.

At a news conference, Clark delivered the news and was joined by the new Apostolic Administrator for Rochester, Bishop Robert J. Cunningham of Syracuse. Cunningham will lead the Diocese of Rochester until a permanent replacement is named. The Rochester diocese includes Tompkins, Tioga, Chemung. Steuben and eight other Finger Lakes region counties.

“It’s important to remember that the work of the church goes on,” Cunningham said.

Clark said this process was unusual, as typically a resignation is accepted pending the naming of a new Bishop. Cunningham, who was born and raised in Buffalo, was appointed as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Syracuse in 2009.

When Cunningham was asked how he was going to run two dioceses at the same time, he said: “You have to be a good delegator.”

Clark came to Rochester in 1979. He turned 75 in July and submitted his resignation to the Holy See, as is required of all bishops in the Catholic Church who reach that age.

“(Cunningham) is going to find a pretty healthy diocese,” Clark said. “The last couple of years, we at the diocese have been preparing for this kind of transition.”