Presbyteral Council

The Presbyteral Council membership is taken from the presbyterate of New Orleans (priests living within the archdiocese), with about half being elected by the presbyterate. Some are to be ex-officio members and others can be appointed by the archbishop.

Statutes determine membership, means of election, and officers. The archbishop is the President of the Council, with a member of the presbyterate serving as the Chair. The other officer of the Presbyteral Council in the Archdiocese of New Orleans is the Vice-Chair. The statutes also determine the length of service of members and the frequency of meetings, with the law requiring the Presbyteral Council to meet at least four times each year.

The Presbyteral Council represents the priests of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and serves as a “senate to the bishop” to assist him in governance of the diocese according to the norms of law and to promote the pastoral good of the people of God of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.  The Council meets four times a year.  The Archbishop, in consultation with the elected members of the Council (Chair and Vice-Chair), determines the questions to be considered by the Council. The Presbyteral Council possesses only a consultative vote unless consent is required by law.  The Council cannot act without the Diocesan Bishop.  
 
Rights and Duties of the Presbyteral Council established by law:

•  to have two members participate in the provincial council.
•  must be heard for the convoking of the diocesan synod.
•  to be summoned to the diocesan synod.
•  must be heard in matters of greater importance (as determined by the diocesan bishop.
•  must be heard to erect, suppress, and substantially modify parishes.
•  must be heard to establish norms regarding the use of the offerings of the faithful referred to in canon 531 (stole fees)
•  must be heard to make obligatory the constitution of parish pastoral councils.
•  must me heard for the establishment of a new church.
•  must be heard for the reduction of a church to profane use.
•  must be heard for levying ordinary and extraordinary taxes.
• must establish, upon proposal of the diocesan bishop, the group of pastors from which two are chosen, who with the bishop will decide cases of removal of pastors.

 Presbyteral Council Membership
2026 - 2027

Presbyteral Council Officers

Most Rev. James F. Checchio, J.C.D., M.B.A., President
Very Rev. Daniel Brouillette,  Chair
Very Rev. Ajani Gibson, Vice-Chair

Ex-Officio Members

Most Rev. James F. Checchio, J.C.D., M.B.A., Archbishop of New Orleans
Very Rev. Peter Akpoghiran, J.C.D., J.V., Judicial Vicar 
Very Rev. Charles Benoit, J.C.L., V.E., Episcopal Vicar for Pastoral Life & Planning
Rev. David Ducote, Vocation Director
Very Rev. Jared Rodrigue, V.E., Episcopal Vicar for Communication & Evangelization
Very Rev. Joshua Rodrigue, S.T.L., Notre Dame Seminary Rector
Very Rev. Patrick Williams, V.G., Executive Director of Clergy

Deanery Representatives / Deans

Deanery I: Cathedral  
Very Rev. Ajani Gibson, V.F., St. Peter Claver (New Orleans)

Deanery II: City Park-Gentilly
Very Rev. Francis Offia, V.F., St. Martin de Porres (New Orleans)

Deanery III: Uptown
Very Rev. Nile Gross, S.T.L., V.F., St. Francis of Assisi (New Orleans)

Deanery IV: East Jefferson
Very Rev. Steve Bruno, V.F., St. Rita (Harahan)

Deanery V: St. John-St. Charles
Very Rev. Paul Clark, V.F., Our Lady of Holy Rosary (Hahnville)

Deanery VI: West Bank
Very Rev. Gary Copping, V.F., St. Anthony / St. Joseph (Gretna)

Deanery VII: Algiers-Plaquemines
Very Rev. Michael Lamy, V.F., St. Andrew the Apostle (New Orleans)

Deanery VIII: St. Bernard
Very Rev. Sampson Abdulai, V.F., St. Thomas (Braithwaite)

Deanery IX: West St. Tammany
Very Rev. Daniel Brouilette, V.F., St. Peter's (Covington)

Deanery X: East St. Tammany
Very Rev. Gerry Seiler, J.C.L., V.F., St. Genevieve (Slidell)

Priests Appointed by Archbishop

Rev. Lennin Arroyo, Hispanic Apostolate (Kenner)
Rev. Timothy Hedrick, J.C.L., St. Catherine of Siena (Metairie)
Rev. Joseph Man Tran, St. Edward the Confessor (Metairie)

Priests Elected

Fr. Augustine DeArmond, O.P., J.C.L., St. Anthony of Padua (New Orleans)
     Religious Priest Representative
Rev. Kurt Young, D.Min, Notre Dame Seminary (New Orleans)
     Specialized Ministry / Parochial Vicar Representative

Canon 495  
§1. In each diocese a presbyteral council is to be established, that is, a group of priests which, representing the presbyterium, is to be like a senate of the bishop and which assists the bishop in the governance of the diocese according to the norm of law to promote as much as possible the pastoral good of the portion of the people of God entrusted to him. 

Canon 500 
§1. It is for the diocesan bishop to convoke the presbyteral council, preside over it, and determine the questions to be treated by it or receive proposals from the members.
§2. The presbyteral council possesses only a consultative vote; the diocesan bishop is to hear it in affairs of greater importance but needs its consent only in cases expressly defined by law.
§3. The presbyteral council is not able to act without the diocesan bishop who alone has charge of making public those things which have been established according to the norm of §2.