KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Monsignor Edward Lohse, 61, will be the next bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, the Holy See announced Tuesday.

Lohse, who is currently the vicar general and moderator of curia for the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania, has been a priest for 34 years. He will be ordained as bishop July 25 at Kalamazoo’s St. Augustine Cathedral, according to a news release.

Bishop Paul Bradley, the diocese’s current bishop, has served in the position for 14 years. Bradley submitted his resignation when he turned 75, as required by Catholic law.

Lohse will be the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo since it was founded in 1971.

“I know that the task ahead is a daunting one. I am aware of that,” Lohse said at a press conference Tuesday. “But none of us walks the path of faith alone. I look forward to this journey together, and I am counting on your prayers.”

The Diocese of Kalamazoo encompasses nine counties in southwest Michigan, including Kalamazoo, Allegan, Calhoun and St. Joseph. It includes almost 78,000 registered Catholics.