BOSTON -- Gov. Deval Patrick plans to "continue to discharge his duties" but will curtail his public appearances as his wife copes with exhaustion and depression, a spokesman said Sunday.

The new governor, a little more than eight weeks after taking office, will instead hand off more responsibilities to Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray.

"Gov. Patrick will continue to discharge his duties and to press forward his agenda for the commonwealth," Kyle Sullivan, the governor's top spokesman, said Sunday afternoon. "The governor will limit his public appearances, particularly during the evenings and on weekends. Lieutenant Gov. Murray will occasionally represent the governor at public events."

In a statement released Saturday evening, Patrick declared that his wife, Diane, was ailing and he would be scaling back his workload to spend more time with her. The spartan, three-sentence statement did not elaborate on the practical impacts of the decision.

Patrick had no public appearances on Sunday, but he planned to complete a scheduled visit to Fall River on Monday morning to discuss extended learning educational programs.

Murray was in public on Sunday, attending a St. Patrick's Day breakfast and roast at an Elks Lodge in his hometown of Worcester.

"We'll have a staff meeting tomorrow, and my sense is that the governor is going to continue to be active," Murray said in an interview. "Some of us will help pick up the slack."

He also expressed sympathy for Diane Patrick.

"She is an incredibly talented woman, and we look forward to the family doing what needs to be done, and just supporting in any way we can," said the lieutenant governor.

February 12: Interview With Diane Patrick