Welcome to the Diocese of Lake Charles

WASHINGTON — Pope Leo XIV has appointed Most Reverend James F. Checchio, Bishop of Metuchen, as Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on September 24, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond is 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.

Bishop Checchio’s biography may be found here.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans is comprised of 4,208 square miles in the State of Louisiana and has a total population of 1,263,422, of which 505,369, are Catholic.


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