On September 24, 2025, Pope Leo XIV appointed Most Reverend James F. Checchio, bishop of Metuchen, as Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans.   

Coadjutor Archbishop Checchio is a native of Camden, New Jersey, and was named the Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen by Pope Francis on March 8, 2016. He was ordained and installed as the Fifth Bishop of Metuchen on May 3, 2016. 

Before being named Bishop, he served as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome from January 2006 to January 2016, after serving as vice rector there for two and a half years. He studied at North American College, Rome, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Camden, N.J. on June 20, 1992. 

Coadjutor Archbishop Checchio has a degree in Sacred Theology, a Master of Business Administration, and doctorate in Canon Law.  See below for more information on Archbishop Checchio.

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond remains the current archbishop of New Orleans, and the appointment as coadjutor archbishop confers on Bishop Checchio the right of succession for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.

Archbishop James Checchio will formally begin his ministry as the Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans with a Mass of Welcome on November 18, 2025.  The Mass will take place at St. Louis Cathedral.  More information about the Mass will be forthcoming.

According to the USCCB website, a coadjutor is "a bishop appointed to a Catholic diocese or archdiocese to assist the diocesan bishop. Unlike an auxiliary bishop, he has the right of succession, meaning that he automatically becomes the new bishop when the diocesan bishop retires or dies. By canon law, he is also vicar general of the diocese. If the diocese is an archdiocese, he is called coadjutor archbishop instead of coadjutor bishop. In recent years, a growing number of U.S. bishops in larger dioceses or archdioceses have requested and received a coadjutor in their final year or two before their retirement, in order to familiarize their successor with the workings of the (arch)diocese before he has to take over the reins. This minimizes the learning curve of a new bishop and eliminates completely the possibility of the diocese being vacant following the old bishop’s retirement.”

Archbishop Checchio was born in Camden on April 21, 1966.  He was one of four children of James and Helen Checchio. He was raised in Collingswood, where he attended St. John School, and went on to Pope Paul VI High School in Haddon Township.

The Most Rev. James Checchio was named the Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen by Pope Francis on March 8, 2016. He was ordained and installed as the Fifth Bishop of Metuchen on
May 3, 2016.

Before being named Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen, he served as rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome from January 2006 to January 2016, after serving as vice rector there for two and a half years.  During his years as rector, the College enjoyed its highest enrollment of seminarians from the United States since the 1960's. 
 
Prior to that, he held various roles in the Diocese of Camden. Archbishop Checchio served as secretary to Bishop James T. McHugh, vice chancellor, director of communications, moderator of the curia, and episcopal vicar for administration of the diocese. He also served in the Tribunal and as a member of the College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, Investment Committee and Diocesan Finance Council.

He served as parochial vicar at St. Agnes Parish, Blackwood, and assisted at St. Jude Parish, Blackwood; and summer parochial vicar at St. Peter Parish, Merchantville, and St. Peter Celestine Parish, Cherry Hill.

Archbishop Checchio was appointed a Chaplain to His Holiness by Pope John Paul II in 2000, granting him the title of monsignor; and, was appointed a Prelate of Honor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011, a papal honor bestowed on diocesan priests.

Archbishop Checchio received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He studied at North American College, Rome, and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Camden, N.J. on June 20, 1992 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Camden.

He holds a Masters of Business Administration Degree from LaSalle University, Philadelphia; and Doctorate of Canon Law and Bachelor of Sacred Theology degrees from University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Rome.

Outside of the Archdiocese of New Orlean, Archbishop Checchio currently serves the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as Conference Treasurer and Chairman of the Committee on Budget and Finance, Vice Chairman of the Committee on Priorities and Plans, and is a member of the Executive Committee and Member Committee. He has served as Reviewer for the Subcommittee for Catechism, on the Bishop's Advisory Group for the National Eucharistic Revival, as Consultant for the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism, the Chairman of the Audit Subcommittee for Budget & Finance, Chairman of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life & Vocations, Member of the Committee on Budget & Finance and the Committee on Clergy and Consecrated Life  & Vocations and Chairman of the Pontifical North American College Janiculum Hill Foundation. 

In addition, Archbishop Checchio is Member of the Papal Foundation Board of Trustees, an appointed Member of the Board of Trustees for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, DC, Member of the Seton Hall University Board of Regents, Member of the Seton Hall University Board of Overseers for Immaculate Conception Seminary, Member of the Board of Directors for the National Catholic Bioethics Center, and Member of the Catholic University of America Busch School of Business Board of Visitors.

“RECONCILIAMINI DEO ”

For his episcopal motto, Archbishop Checchio chose these Latin words taken from St. Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians: "Pro Christo ergo legatione fungimur, tamquam Deo exhortante per nos. Obsecramus pro Christo, reconciliamini Deo" which translates, "We are ambassadors in Christ’s stead, so that it is as though God is admonishing through us. In Christ’s stead we pray: Be reconciled to God" (2 Cor 5:20).

Archbishop Checchio has chosen this motto which recalls St. Paul’s appeal for us to continue this central mission for which Jesus was sent by the Father.