CINCINNATI — A new leader will be taking charge of Ohio's only archdiocese. The pope named a new archbishop to run the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to replace its longtime retiring leader. 

What You Need To Know

  • With declining health and reaching retirement age, Archbishop Dennis Schnurr is stepping down 

  • The new archbishop, who is coming, is set to lead the church is the Most Rev. Robert Casey from Chicago

  • Casey is set to be officially installed in the next six weeks 

The Catholic church in Cincinnati is about to see a change that hasn’t happened in 16 years. A new archbishop will be taking the lead after the former archbishop ended up in the hospital.

The archbishop who’s been praying over people for decades is now the one people are praying for. 

“For all the sick, we just prayed in the church, and we know a lot of sick people which is the reason we’re here," said parishioner Anne Lamott.

Parishioners say they knew the archbishop, the Most Rev. Dennis Schnurr, was getting sick.  

“He was a great speaker and a good leader," said parishioner Janine Pacher. 

“Bishop Schnurr and he fell and he had cancer," said Lamott. 

He lead the Cincinnati Archdiocese for 16 years, but with declining health and after reaching retirement age, he is stepping down.

“He regrets not being able to be here this morning as he was in the hospital for lumbar region surgery and has now been transferred to rehab," said Father Steve Angi with the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. 

Schnurr has stayed at the church until a replacement was named. Wednesday, the Vatican announced that the new leader will be the Most Rev. Robert Casey. 

“I come to Cincinnati with that same trust, that same hope, that same love that has been a guide for me throughout my life, and I'm very grateful for this opportunity to come amongst you and to journey with you on this path of discipleship," said Casey. 

Casey, an auxiliary bishop from Chicago and a leader there for more than 30 years, will now be taking reigns of the archdiocese that includes more than 200 parishes in 10 counties and is home to roughly 438,000 Catholics.

“Wishing for peace amongst all the parties that are not very peaceful and that we look the him for guidance and he’s able to give it to us, and healing," said Pacher. 

As the former archbishop is recovering in the hospital, the new archbishop is scheduled to be installed in the next six weeks.