ALLENTOWN -- The bishop of the Diocese of Allentown is being transferred to a diocese in New York.
The Vatican named Bishop John Barres as the next bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, NY, which consists of Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island.
Bishop Barres will succeed Bishop William Murphy, 76, who has led the Rockville Centre Diocese since 2001. Bishop Murphy turned 75 in May 2015 and submitted his letter of resignation at that time as required by church law, according to a release from the Diocese of Allentown.
Bishop Barres has been the head of the Diocese of Allentown since 2009.
He will be installed in his new diocese on January 31, 2017.
A group of ten senior priests will appoint an administrator for the Diocese of Allentown until a successor is appointed.
The Diocese of Allentown serves Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton and Schuylkill Counties.