St. Petersburg welcomes new bishop

ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - Pope Francis appointed a new bishop to lead the Catholic Church in St. Petersburg on Monday.

Bishop Gregory Parkes will replace Bishop Robert Lynch, who is retiring after nearly 21 years of service.

Parkes sat in on several meetings Monday, as the transition process began. Bishop Parkes comes to the diocese of St. Petersburg after leading the church in Tallahassee and Pensacola.

Bishop Parkes said he's blessed to have been given the opportunity and he called his leadership style, "approachable."

"As a bishop, I also try to be a pastor," Parkes said. "I try to be pastoral in my work and my relationships with priests and those that I encounter through my ministry."

Bishop Parkes is somewhat familiar with the Tampa Bay area. In the 1980's, he worked in the financial sector before going on to seminary.