ALLENTOWN - The final Mass for Bishop John Barres at Cathedral of Saint Catharine of Siena was not only for parishioners to say goodbye to him, but also for the bishop to thank the Catholics he has served for almost eight years.

"I have so many inspirational memories of our time together," Barres said to the packed church during his homily. "Memories of your families, in the words of Pope Francis, 'transforming the world and history' with Christ's love and the mission of the Catholic Church on earth."Barres, 56, is leaving the Diocese of Allentown to lead a massive flock in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, New York.He will be installed Jan. 31 as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the sixth-largest diocese in the United States by population with 1.5 million Catholics. The Allentown Diocese is home to 270,000 in Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill and Carbon counties.Barres told a story of sitting next to a "spirited" sixth-grade girl during Pope Francis' visit in Philadelphia. The girl was eating a bowl of macaroni and cheese when she let out an "enormous" burp. Barres laughed, he said, while the girl's mother said, "Bishop, Monica is the exclamation point of our family.""I want to thank all of you for the way you are exclamation points of Christ's love in your marriages, in your families, in the church and in the world," Barres said.After his homily, parts of which were delivered in Spanish, Barres received a standing ovation, one of several the packed church delivered to its departing bishop.Barres was known for his Hispanic outreach during his time as Allentown bishop. At the Mass on Sunday, a special second collection was taken up to benefit the Hispanic Scholarship Endowment Fund of the Catholic Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania.'Big sacrifice'When speaking to the media before Mass, Barres, a native of Larchmont, New York, said leaving his position as Allentown bishop is a "big sacrifice.""It's a very emotional moment for me because we have been casting so many nets and followed the lead of the Holy Spirit and it's been so beautiful," he said. "It's a moment of sacrifice to follow the will of God. And it's painful, but it's also joyful."Before Mass started, Barres made his way from the front of the church to the back, shaking hands with as many parishioners as he could. Some used their cellphones to take photos, while thanking Barres for his service.Barres was named Allentown bishop in May 2009, more than a year after his predecessor, Bishop Edward P. Cullen, turned 75 and submitted his resignation as required by church law.That gap was not unusual. It can take months before the pope names a bishop to a vacancy. So it's unclear how long it will take to replace Barres, who was named to his new position Dec. 9.There are currently seven diocesan episcopal vacancies in the United States, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Four have been vacant since before Barres was picked for the New York position.Until Barres' replacement is installed, the diocese will be run by an administrator selected by a group of senior priests.During Mass on Sunday, Barres offered a prayer for the future Allentown bishop, who would be the fifth bishop to lead the diocese after Joseph McShea, Thomas Welsh, Cullen and Barres.Barres came to Allentown from the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, but had a connection to the Lehigh Valley - his father, Oliver, was a Bethlehem native. Both parents were Protestant ministers who entered the Catholic Church under the guidance of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who also baptized the future bishop.The bishop thanked both of his parents, now deceased, during his homily.Reporter Dan Sheehan contributed to this story.