SYRACUSE (AP) -- The Rev. Robert J. Cunningham, a bishop overseeing a section of northern New York for the past five years, has been appointed as bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, church officials announced Tuesday.
Cunningham, 65, will be officially installed as the diocese's 10th bishop on May 26 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Syracuse.
"I hope to be a source of unity for the diocese," Cunningham said. "I look forward to our working together with one mind and one heart as we serve our people."
Cunningham succeeds Bishop James Moynihan, who is retiring after leading the diocese since May 1995. He submitted his resignation as required by church law when he turned 75 in July 2007.
"I know him to be a strong pastor and gifted administrator," Moynihan said of his successor. "It's been a joyous and faithful journey for me. My time here was truly a joy."
Cunningham was born in Buffalo and ordained there in 1969. He earned Bachelor of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees at St. John Vianney Seminary in East Aurora, N.Y., and also holds a Licentiate Degree in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America.
He served as a priest in the Buffalo area for 35 years. In March 2004, he was named bishop of the Diocese of Ogdensburg, which covers the state's eight northernmost counties.
Cunningham takes over a diocese that serves more than 250,000 Catholics in a seven-county area in central New York.
Two years ago, Moynihan announced a diocese reorganization that included closing more than 35 churches or missions, a response to the declining number of priests and shifting populations. Cunningham said he would not review the restructuring plan.
The new bishop remained upbeat about the future.
"We're not at all discouraged," he said, his voice hoarse from a bout of laryngitis. "All of this is in line in an area where the population is declining. The church is strong."
The diocese received a significant gift in December from the estate of a Binghamton couple. Robert and Catherine McDevitt left $30 million, directing that the diocese use only the annual income from the donation.
Moynihan said an investment of $30 million at 4 percent annually would yield about $1.2 million for the church. He said the money would be used to support various activities, including the diocese's annual fundraising campaign, the education of seminarians, and the medical care and financial aid for bishops and priests.
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