James F. Checchio
| His Excellency, The Most Reverend James F. Checchio | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of New Orleans | |
| Checchio in 2025
Checchio in 2025
| |
| Church | Catholic |
| Archdiocese | New Orleans |
| Appointed | September 24, 2025 (as Coadjutor) |
| Installed | February 11, 2026 |
| Predecessor | Gregory Michael Aymond |
| Previous posts | Rector, Pontifical North American College (2005–2016) Bishop of Metuchen (2016–2025) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 20, 1992 by James McHugh |
| Consecration | May 3, 2016 by John Myers, Paul Bootkoski, Dennis Sullivan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 21, 1966 Camden, New Jersey, US |
| Education | University of Scranton Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas La Salle University |
| Motto | Reconciliamini Deo (Latin for 'Be reconciled to God') |
| Styles | |
| Reference style | His Excellency The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
James Francis Checchio (born April 21, 1966) is an American Catholic prelate serving as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans since 2026. He previously served as Bishop of Metuchen from 2016 to 2025 and as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome from 2005 until 2016.
Biography
Early life
Checchio was born on April 21, 1966, in Camden, New Jersey to James and Helen Checchio. He attended St. John School in Collingwood, New Jersey, then Paul VI High School in Haddon Township, New Jersey. After his high school graduation in 1984, Cheechio entered the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy in 1988.[1]
Offering himself as a candidate for the priesthood, Checchio was sent to study at the Pontifical North American College while taking a theology degree at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. He received a Licentiate in Canon Law in 1993.[1][2]
Priesthood
Checchio was ordained a priest by Bishop James McHugh for the Diocese of Camden on June 20, 1992, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden.[3] After his 1992 ordination, the diocese assigned Cheechio to the following positions in New Jersey parishes:
- associate priest at St. Peter Parish in Merchantville (1992 to 1993)
- parochial vicar at St. Agnes Parish in Blackwood (1993 to 1995)
- associate priest at St. Peter Celestine Parish in Cherry Hill (1996)[2]
In 1997, McHugh named Checchio as his priest secretary. At the same time, he served as defender of the bond, assistant director of the Office of Public Relations and Communications and vice chancellor. In 1999, Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio appointed Checchio as his priest-secretary along with moderator of the curia.[2]
In 2000, Checchio was appointed a chaplain of His Holiness by Pope John Paul II.[2] The next year, he was named as administrator of Holy Spirit Parish in Atlantic City, New Jersey and in 2004 was made episcopal vicar for administration.[2] He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from La Salle University in Philadelphia.[4]
Vice Rector and Rector of the North American College
Checchio left Camden for Rome in 2004 after being named as vice rector at the Pontifical North American College. On December 12, 2005, the oversight board for the college appointed him as rector. He would serve in this position for the next five years.[4] Checchio was appointed honorary prelate by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.[1]
Bishop of Metuchen
On March 8, 2016, Checchio was appointed by Pope Francis to succeed Bishop Paul Bootkoski as the fifth Bishop of Metuchen.[5] Checchio's episcopal consecration took place on May 3, 2016, at the Church of the Sacred Heart in South Plainfield, New Jersey. The principal consecrator was Archbishop John J. Myers; the co-consecrators were Bootkoski and Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan.[6]
In August 2018, Checchio said that he was "saddened and ashamed" by the reports of child sexual abuse by Theodore McCarrick, a former bishop of Metuchen. Checchio referred to McCarrick's acts as atrocities.[7] The Vatican laicized McCarrick in February 2019.[8] In 2021, Checchio condemned the abuse of inmates at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women in Clinton, New Jersey, by some correctional officers.[9]
Archbishop of New Orleans
On September 24, 2025, Checchio was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans by Pope Leo XIV.[10]
On February 11, 2026, the Pope accepted the resignation of Gregory Michael Aymond, and Checchio became the next archbishop.[11]
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References
- Back to citation occurrence 1.0 Back to citation occurrence 1.1 Back to citation occurrence 1.2 "Office of the Bishop - Most Rev. James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA". Diocese of Metuchen. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 Back to citation occurrence 2.2 Back to citation occurrence 2.3 Back to citation occurrence 2.4 "Pope Names Msgr. James Checchio Bishop of Metuchen, Accepts Resignation of Bishop Bootkoski". US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- Back to citation "Bishop James Francis Checchio [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
- Back to citation occurrence 4.0 Back to citation occurrence 4.1 Wooden, Cindy. "Camden, N.J., priest named rector of U.S. seminary in Rome". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on December 12, 2005. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- Back to citation "Rinunce e nomine, 08.03.2016". Bollettino (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. March 8, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
- Back to citation The Ordination and Installation of the Most Reverend James Francis Checchio (PDF). Diocese of Metuchen. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
- Back to citation "Metuchen bishop 'saddened and ashamed' by Archbishop McCarrick case". Crux. August 10, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- Back to citation Harlan, Chico (February 16, 2019). "Ex-cardinal McCarrick defrocked by Vatican for sexual abuse". Washington Post. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
- Back to citation Cheechio, James (February 21, 2021). "Metuchen Bishop decries the abuse at Edna Mahan | Opinion". Star-Ledger. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
- Back to citation "Pope Leo XIV Appoints Bishop James Checchio as Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved September 24, 2025.
- Back to citation "Rinuncia e successione dell'Arcivescovo Metropolita di New Orleans (U.S.A.)". press.vatican.va. Retrieved February 11, 2026.