Bishop John M. D'Arcy was preparing to read a statement that would announce officially his retirement from the diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend on Saturday morning when a cell phone rang.

Several rings later, after those in the crowd of nearly 100 gathered in a basement banquet room at the Archbishop Noll Catholic Center checked their phones, the man seated next to the podium reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone.

“Sorry, Harrisburg's calling,” Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades told the crowd, a sheepish smile on his face.

There was nothing to be ashamed of, of course, as many Catholics in and around the central Pennsylvania capital probably had yet to even learn their bishop, who led them for nearly five years, was transferring to the Fort Wayne-South Bend diocese. The official announcement came from Rome just after 6 a.m. Saturday.

News spread quickly in northern Indiana, however.

The chapel at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 1100 S. Calhoun St., was standing room only for a special 8 a.m. Mass on Saturday, where D'Arcy and Rhoades split duties.

Anxious parishioners and diocese staffers came to the news conference 2 1/2 hours later.

“The new bishop will certainly be welcomed to our community with open arms,” said Debbie Schmidt, who serves as executive director of Catholic Charities. “We're excited. We're certainly sad to see Bishop D'Arcy leave, but we're excited for the opportunities to work with the new bishop.”

Rhoades, 51, was appointed the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Harrisburg in October 2004 and officially installed in December 2004.

Nearly five years later, he's become the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, succeeding D'Arcy, who led area Catholics for 24 years. Rhoades will be officially installed here Jan. 13.

Until then, Rhoades said he will spend his time getting to know his diocese and its priests and parishioners. Initially, though, he said he has a single priority.

“I can say from the outset, though, just because of who I am, the new evangelization: to preach the Gospel with vigor and energy.”

That methodology comes from Rhoades' hero, former pope John Paul II, whom Rhoades said he models himself after.

D'Arcy said in his introduction of Rhoades that he is a proven recruiter of young men to the priesthood, and Rhoades is confident those successes will follow him to Indiana. That, he says, will come through promoting Catholic schools and youth ministries, placing an emphasis on youth in the diocese and the promotion of vocations.

Rhoades said that in Harrisburg, he oversaw retreats that drew more than 100 teen boys. He'll look to bring that idea to Indiana.

Another priority will include building a relationship with Catholic universities in the diocese. Rhoades said he has experience strengthening campus ministries at state universities, but he is new to Catholic universities in his diocese. With five here, - including perhaps the most influential at University of Notre Dame - Rhoades knows he will need to adapt.

“I think that's going to have to be one of my strong priorities, to promote and support the Catholic identity and mission of those universities,” Rhoades said.

Rhoades, who said he had been to the diocese only once before Saturday - for a 2006 Penn State-Notre Dame football game in South Bend - said in his address Saturday that some of his greatest joys have come from simply mingling with his parishioners.

That was evident both after the early-morning Mass and the news conference Saturday, when Rhoades spent several minutes with nearly everyone in attendance to exchange small talk.

With more than 157,000 parishioners in the diocese, Rhoades has a few more hands to shake.

“I have so much to learn,” he said.