some time in the intensive care unit. On January 3, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Thomas J. Olmsted, the bishop of Phoenix, as apostolic administrator sede plena of the Diocese of Gallup, and granted Pelotte a one-year leave of absence to continue his recovery. One year later, after seeing pictures of himself from the Emergency Department, Pelotte said he was no longer sure that his injuries were the result of a fall. This statement fueled speculation that his injuries came from being assaulted. Retirement and legacy On April 30, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Pelotte's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Gallup. O December 30, 2009, Pelotte was hospitalized in Gallup in critical condition. He died on January 7, 2010. The funeral mass for Pelotte was held on January 14, 2010, at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Gallup. Per his wishes, he was buried in the crypt of the cathedral. Notes American people of Abenaki descent People from Waterville, Maine 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States 1945 births 2010 deaths Religious figures of the indigenous peoples of North America John Carroll University alumni Fordham University alumni Writers from Maine Writers from New Mexico American twins People from Hyde Park, New York Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup Catholics from New York (state) Catholics from Maine