WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Dominick J. Lagonegro of New York.

Bishop Lagonegro, who has been a New York auxiliary since 2001, is 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to turn in their resignation to the pope.

His retirement was announced in Washington July 2 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

When he was named an auxiliary in 2001 by St. John Paul II, then-Msgr. Lagonegro was the founding pastor at St. Columba Parish in Hopewell Junction, New York. For four years, he also had been vicar for the New York Archdiocese's Vicariate of Dutchess County in the southeastern portion of the state.

He was ordained a bishop Dec. 12, 2001, and a year later he was named pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Newburgh, New York, and vicar of Orange County.

He is a member of the New York State Coalition Public Policy Committee. He has been chaplain for the Sons of Italy Lodge in Mamaroneck, the Dutchess County Boy Scout Council, and the Police Department in the cities of Poughkeepsie and East Fishkill.

He was born March 6, 1943, in White Plains, New York, the only child of parents Dominick R. Lagonegro and Diamentina Morgado. After completing four years of high school at Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in New York and two years of college at Cathedral College in Douglaston, New York, he entered St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers.

After his ordination to the priesthood May 31, 1969, at St. Patrick's Cathedral, he was appointed to various parishes throughout the northern counties of New York, including St. Vito's in Mamaroneck, St. Joseph's in Kingston and Holy Trinity in Poughkeepsie. His last parish assignment before he became founding pastor of St. Columba, was as pastor of St. Denis, which also is in Hopewell Junction.

Bishop Lagonegro has served on many commissions and committees throughout his ministry. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Human Rights Commission in Mamaroneck, Kingston and Hopewell Junction, and a member of the Kingston and LaGrange Rotary Clubs.

The Archdiocese of New York covers almost 4,700 square miles and out of a total population of over 5.9 million, over 2.6 million people, or 45 percent, are Catholic.