Diocese of Gallup officials say Bishop James S. Wall was recently diagnosed with thyroid cancer and is scheduled to have a tumor surgically removed Thursday in Phoenix.
Diocesan officials didn't say what specific type of thyroid cancer Wall has or where in Phoenix he will receive medical treatment.
The Gallup Independent reports that Wall is expected to need one to two weeks to recover from the surgery.
The Rev. Kevin Finnegan is the vicar general and will assume the day-to-day duties of overseeing the diocese during Wall's absence.
The thyroid is a gland at the front of the neck, beneath the larynx. It produces hormones that are important in the regulation of a body's metabolism.
Information from: Gallup Independent.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.