Pope Benedict XVI has formally appointed Bishop John Quinn to lead the Catholic Diocese of Winona.

Quinn succeeds Bishop Bernerd Harrington, who submitted his request for retirement to the Vatican when he turned 75 last fall.

The Winona diocese says Thursday the pope has accepted Harrington’s resignation and formally appointed Quinn to succeed him. Quinn, 63, had been serving as the diocese’s co-adjutor bishop.

Quinn becomes the eighth bishop of the Winona diocese. Both he and Harrington are natives of Detroit.

The Winona diocese is made up of 20 counties across southern Minnesota. More than 131,000 Catholics live in the diocese.