(OSV News) — Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, and named Bishop William Shawn McKnight of Jefferson City, Missouri, as his successor, the Vatican announced on April 8.

On the same day, the pontiff appointed Bishop Bruce Alan Lewandowski, C.S.R., titular Bishop of Croae and auxiliary bishop of Baltimore, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island.

Bishop Lewandowski previously served in the Archdiocese of New York, in assignments including pastor of Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in the Bronx and associate pastor of St. Cecilia Church in East Harlem.

Archbishop Naumann, installed as the fourth archbishop and the 11th bishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City on January 15, 2005, submitted his resignation upon turning 75 on June 4, 2024, as required by canon law.

Archbishop McKnight, 56, has headed the Diocese of Jefferson City since February 2018. Previously, he served as executive director of the Office for Clergy and Consecrated Life of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops between 2010 and 2015.

“My heart is filled with gratitude for the faithful of the Diocese of Jefferson City,” Archbishop McKnight said in an April 8 statement. “You welcomed me as your bishop over seven years ago, and together we have grown in faith, and service to the Lord.”

He added: “You have been my first flock as a bishop, and that bond will always hold a special place in my heart. I am thankful for your trust, your prayers, and your dedication to living out the Gospel in your communities.”

As he prepares to transition to Kansas City, he assured his Jefferson City flock: “I am confident that God’s providence will continue to guide and bless you in the days ahead. You will always remain in my heart and in my prayers.”

Bishop Lewandowski was ordained a priest on May 7, 1994, for the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Along with  Manhattan and the Bronx in New York City, his previous assignments include Saint Lucia in the West Indies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland. Pope Francis appointed him titular bishop of Croae and auxiliary bishop of Baltimore on June 10, 2020, and he received episcopal ordination on August 18, 2020.

The Diocese of Providence had been awaiting a new leader since August 5, 2024, when Pope Francis appointed then-Bishop Richard G. Henning as the new archbishop of Boston, where he was installed on October 31, 2024.