Kentucky bishop named to Harrisburg

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Bishop Ronald W. Gainer of Lexington, Ky., has been named to head the Diocese of Harrisburg, Pa., and the vicar general of the Diocese of Fresno, Calif., has been named auxiliary bishop of Sacramento, Calif., the first for the diocese.

Pope Francis made the appointments Jan. 24. They were announced in Washington by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Gainer, 66, was ordained as bishop of Lexington Feb. 22, 2003. He is a native of Pottsville, Pa., in the Diocese of Allentown, and served there as a parish priest, campus minister and judicial vicar until his appointment as the second bishop of Lexington.

He succeeds Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, who died May 2, 2013, and will be installed March 19.

Msgr. Myron J. Cotta, 60, will become the first auxiliary bishop of the Sacramento diocese. He is a native of Dos Palos, Calif., in the Fresno Diocese, and has been a priest since 1987.

In Fresno he has served in several parishes, on assorted diocesan boards and in posts including moderator of the curia, vicar for clergy, director of continuing formation of the clergy, supervisor of the safe environment program and director of the Propagation of the Faith.