Archbishop Emeritus John Myers has returned home after suffering "a serious decline" in his physical and mental health.
The announcement was made last week by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the current head of the Newark, N.J., Catholic archdiocese.
"After a recent visit with his family in central Illinois, Archbishop Myers decided to remain in the region of his birth where he is receiving specialized care and can be visited by his family as well as the clergy of the Diocese of Peoria," said Tobin.
Tobin also announced Myers' controversial retirement residence in Hunterdon County, N.J. will be sold after his family collects his personal effects.
Myers was criticized when the archdiocese spent a reported $500,000 expanding the home to 7,500 square feet in 2014, including the addition of a whirlpool tub, elevator, and library. The expansion was funded through the sale of other archdiocese assets.
Myers served as Bishop of the Peoria diocese from 1990 to 2001, when he was appointed archbishop of Newark. He retired in 2016.
