Vatican City, Jun 4, 2025 / 07:30 am

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday appointed Pittsburgh Auxiliary Bishop Mark Eckman to lead the northern U.S. diocese, with the bishop-elect succeeding Bishop David Zubik in that role.

Leo accepted Zubik’s resignation June 4. The outgoing bishop turned 75 — the usual age of retirement — last September.

A Pittsburgh native, Zubik spent his entire priestly and episcopal career in the diocese — which serves nearly 628,000 Catholics in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania — except for three and a half years as bishop of Green Bay, Wisconsin, from October 2003 to July 2007.

Eckman, 66, was born in Pittsburgh on Feb. 9, 1959. He has been an auxiliary bishop of the diocese since 2022.

His priestly formation took place at St. Paul Seminary in East Carnegie, Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe.

After his ordination on May 11, 1985, Eckman mostly served in different roles in parishes and schools in South Hills, a southern suburb of Pittsburgh.

He was episcopal vicar for clergy personnel from 2013 to 2020 and in 2021 became pastor of Resurrection Parish after acting as administrator during its founding from the merger of two other parishes.

Eckman also served as a member on several boards, including the priest council, the U.S. bishops’ conference National Advisory Board, the permanent diaconate formation board, the seminary admissions board, and the priest candidates admissions board.

The prelate’s episcopal motto is “To serve in faith and charity.” According to his biography on the website of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the bishop likes to spend his spare time visiting extended family. He is also an avid nature photographer who likes to hike and ski.

The Diocese of Pittsburgh covers 3,754 square miles in five Pennsylvania counties. It has a population of around 2 million people.