WASHINGTON (April 4, 2006)—Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Bishop Anthony M. Pilla of Cleveland and appointed Auxiliary Bishop Richard G. Lennon of Boston as his successor.

Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, made the announcement.

Richard G. Lennon was born in Arlington, Massachusetts, March 26, 1947. He studied at St. John's Seminary College, Brighton, MA, and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Boston on May 19, 1973.

He was appointed Titular Bishop of Sufes and Auxiliary Bishop of Boston on June 29, 2001, and ordained September 14, 2001.

Anthony M. Pilla was born in Cleveland, November 12, 1932. He studied at John Carroll University and St. Mary's Seminary, Cleveland, and was ordained a priest of the Cleveland diocese on May 23, 1959. He was appointed Titular Bishop of Scardona and Auxiliary Bishop of Cleveland, June 30, 1979, and ordained August 1, 1979. Appointed Bishop of Cleveland, November 13, 1980, he was installed January 6, 1981.

Bishop Pilla was President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference (now United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) from 1995 to 1998.

Established April 23, 1847, Cleveland is the 15th largest diocese in the United States. It has a population of 802,767 Catholics, or 28% of the total eight county population of 2,853,155. It has 337 active diocesan priests, 137 religious order priests, 1,250 women religious, 191 Permanent Deacons, and 47 Brothers. They serve in 233 parishes, of which 50 are nationality parishes.

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