ST. LOUIS — Bishop Michael G. McGovern of Belleville, Ill., will soon be moving to Omaha to replace 75-year-old Archbishop George J. Lucas.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) said that Pope Francis accepted Lucas' resignation, although the reason for the resignation was not given.

The decision was made public by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S.

The Omaha Archdiocese is roughly 14,000 square miles with a population of about one million of which over 240,000 are catholic.