Pope Leo XIV announced on Sept. 24, 2025, that James F. Checchio will serve as Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans.

Checchio will remain Coadjutor Archbishop until the current Archbishop, Gregory M. Aymond, retires. This will officially make Checchio the 15th Archbishop of New Orleans.

Checchio will have his work cut out for him in his handling of several critical tasks, the first of which is the clergy sex abuse crisis.

The sex abuse crisis has damaged the New Orleans Archdiocese since 1984, which brought hundreds of lawsuits and a federal bankruptcy filing. This crisis includes numerous allegations of sexual abuse by priests, as well as the cover-ups by archdiocese officials.

The New Orleans Archdiocese has previously offered a settlement of $230 million to victims of the clergy sex abuse crisis, which increased its original offer of $180 million. The settlement aimed to resolve over 500 claims surrounding the archdiocese.

Even though Checchio hasn’t developed an official plan, he formally recognized the problem by saying he was aware of what the clergy sex abuse had caused.

“It’s a dark part of our history. I grew up with it. My whole generation grew up with it. I was ordained a priest in 1992. One of our priests was arrested that same year for sex abuse. So, we’ve grown up with it,” stated Checchio.

Checchio also handled a similar fallout in Metuchen in 2018. This was a sexual abuse scandal involving the first-ever bishop of Metuchen, Theodore McCarrick. As a result of these events, Checchio posted a letter on the diocese website expressing his sadness over McCarrick’s horrific actions. McCarrick was eventually removed from public ministry, forced to resign as a cardinal, and expelled from the priesthood.

Besides the clergy sex abuse crisis, Checchio will have other initiatives and priorities for building the Church, such as evangelization and spiritual teachings.

Checchio calls all Catholics to join the “ministry of evangelization.” When he says “ministry of evangelization,” he means that Catholics witness to their faith through their lives, demonstrating it not only with words but also by living as disciples.

Checchio also prioritizes evangelization and spiritual teachings by emphasizing personal relationships with Christ. He has consistently stated that the foundation of a spiritual life is a “friendship with Christ,” and he encourages Catholics to strengthen this foundation through daily practices, such as spending time in both adoration and prayer.

Checchio is committed to working with the Archdiocese to “build up this historical portion of the people of God.” Recconciliamini Deo, his motto, highlights the focus on healing and spiritual growth, particularly in Catholic education.

During his first few days in New Orleans, Checchio quickly became occupied with an extensive schedule visiting parishes and 65 Catholic schools. In fact, he already visited St. Augustine High School and St. Catherine of Siena Parish.

Many Catholics, such as Saint Paul’s religion teacher, Heath Barker, believe this is a crucial time for Checchio to be involved in Catholic education. “This is a great time for an Archbishop to be present to our youth, so they can see how important it is to live chastely in this world that is increasingly turning away from God. I think he believes that he has an obligation to listen, more than speak, in these early days,” Barker stated.

Checchio also plans to ensure financial viability for many of these Catholic schools. In Metuchen, he worked consistently to ensure the stability of these schools. His experience will greatly help these schools in New Orleans, which have closed due to financial instability.

Saint Paul’s religion teacher, Luke Barwick, believes Checchio will be a perfect Archbishop for New Orleans. “I looked at his resume. It’s incredible! So I think he is the right guy for the right time to replace Archbishop Aymond, who did a wonderful job. He has a tough job with all the things going on in the archdiocese, but I think he is going to do well, and I’m excited for him to be the next Archbishop,” Barwick stated.

Checchio was born in Camden, New Jersey, on April 21, 1966. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Scranton and a Master of Business Administration degree from La Salle University.

Checchio started his priesthood on June 20, 1991. He served as a priest in the Diocese of Camden for about 11 years before attending the North American College in Rome. There, he was appointed Vice-Rector and named Prelate of Honor by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011. Lastly, he was named the fifth bishop of Metuchen in 2016.

Checchio has quickly become the talk of the New Orleans Archdiocese with all the tasks and priorities he has been assigned, but his mission is only beginning.