Bishop Thomas Tobin is preparing to resign from his position at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, where he has served for nearly two decades. The bishop’s mandatory retirement age is approaching and he plans to submit his letter of resignation on his 75th birthday, April 1. The bishop admits that the exact timing for acceptance by Pope Francis is uncertain. Bishop Tobin is proud of the work accomplished by the diocese, including being the second-largest charitable service provider in Rhode Island. He also mentioned the Emmanuel House and the success of his “Keep the Heat On” campaign. The bishop admitted that closing the churches during the pandemic was one of his most difficult decisions. He believes that Rhode Island still has an overabundance of parishes and expects downsizing to continue. Referring to the departure of some of the diocese’s priests and the 2019 sexual abuse scandal, Bishop Tobin admits that these were among the challenging episodes in his tenure. He praises Pope Francis as being the “right pope for the time” and indicates he has great respect for him. Bishop Tobin plans to stay in Rhode Island and assist the Church as requested. Most Reverend Richard Henning is Bishop Tobin’s appointed successor.