The Vatican has the investigation of Bishop Michael Duca of Baton Rouge concerning accusation against diocesan priest

 

Investigation of Baton Rouge Bishop Submitted to Vatican

It’s not clear when the Vatican will decide or whether the Vatican will reveal the results.

St. Joseph Cathedral in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (photo: William Silver / Shutterstock)

Matthew McDonald

September 22, 2026

The interview phase of the Vatican’s investigation into how Baton Rouge Bishop Michael Duca handled an accusation of sexual misconduct by a priest has ended and the material has been sent to Rome, a witness told the Register.

Luke Zumo, who filed the complaint that triggered the investigation, said he received an email message Monday, Sept. 21, from New Orleans Archbishop James Checchio saying that the prelate has completed his report and sent it to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops. The archbishop was responding to an email message Zumo sent late last week requesting an update, Zumo said.

A spokesman for the Archdiocese of New Orleans declined comment Tuesday afternoon. A spokesman for the Diocese of Baton Rouge contacted Monday night did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Zumo told the Register that investigators from out of state working under the archbishop came to Baton Rouge to conduct interviews at least twice — once in June and again in July.

Zumo filed the complaint on Feb. 19, about seven months ago.

According to Zumo, Archbishop Checchio received a letter from the Vatican authorizing an investigation of Bishop Duca on May 4, which is about four and a half months ago.

Zumo noted that’s longer than the 90 days envisioned by Vatican guidelines.

“But it also means that it happened, and it’s going to a final step. I’m thankful for that,” Zumo told the Register.

Zumo made the complaint against Bishop Duca under Vos Estis Lux Mundi, an apostolic letter issued by Pope Francis in May 2019 that established a process for investigating bishops in sexual-abuse cases, including how bishops handle complaints about clerics under their jurisdiction. The document suggests 90 days for an investigation but allows for a longer term at the outset and for extensions for what it calls “just reasons.”

It’s unclear how long the Vatican will take to render a decision and whether that decision will become public.

Complaint About Priest’s Conduct

The investigation stems from a purported incident from nearly a year ago.

A man in his mid-60s has said that on Sept. 27, 2025, Father Charbel Jamhoury, a Maronite priest who at the time was pastor of St. Isidore the Farmer in Baker, Louisiana, used an early-morning Saturday meeting at the otherwise-deserted parish office to make sexual advances on the man and also stated that he missed having oral sex with boys.

The priest has denied the accusations.

As the Register reported in May and in June of this year, the purported victim says he informed the Diocese of Baton Rouge about the incident in early October 2025.

But the purported victim and Zumo, a longtime friend, have told the Register that the bishop was hard to reach and slow to respond.

The bishop put the pastor on leave in late December 2025 and removed him as pastor in early February 2026. Zumo said the bishop acted only under pressure, after Zumo contacted law enforcement, and that parishioners didn’t learn of the accusations against the priest until about four months after the diocese first received the purported victim’s complaint.

The diocese issued a statement Feb. 10 saying that Bishop Duca engaged in “extensive conversation with all parties involved” and considered interviews conducted by a private investigator hired by the diocese and by law enforcement as well as a “full health assessment” of Father Jamhoury before removing him as pastor.

The written statement acknowledged that “many members of the community have been frustrated due to the length of this process and perceived silence,” but said that “due diligence in such matters is necessary to protect the interests of both the claimant and the priest.”

The purported victim has told the Register that Bishop Duca informed him in mid-May 2026 that Father Jamhoury, who is originally from Lebanon, left the United States.

Bishop Duca, 74, is about eight and a half months from turning 75 (in June 2027), which is the normal retirement age for a bishop, though the pope can extend a bishop’s time in office.

Results?

As metropolitan archbishop of New Orleans, Archbishop Checchio under Vos Estis is the ordinary investigator of bishops in the Ecclesiastical Province of New Orleans, which includes the Diocese of Baton Rouge.

Zumo said that he has asked Archbishop Checchio whether he will learn what the Vatican decides to do.

He noted that Vos Estis says: “In compliance with the instructions of the competent Dicastery, the Metropolitan, upon request, shall inform the person who has alleged an offence, or his/her legal representatives, of the outcome of the investigation.”

Zumo told the Register he has asked Archbishop Checchio about that passage in the document.

“He shared with me in a professional and candid way that he’s under obedience to the Vatican and that he’ll only reveal to me what the Dicastery for Bishops allows him to reveal,” Zumo said.

“Because of that, I’m trying to spiritually and emotionally prepare myself to receive whatever outcome is shared or not shared with us as God’s will,” he said.

Zumo told the Register he appreciates his interactions with the archbishop.

Zumo said, “Archbishop Checchio really has been incredibly responsive and personable throughout, each time I have reached out to him. And that has been a comfort and an encouragement through a difficult process

Archbishop James Checchio statement on today's appointments in Metuchen & Shreveport

 Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans - Statement from Archbishop Checchio

Upon the news that Pope Leo has appointed the Most Reverend Michael A. Saporito, currently Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, the new Bishop of Metuchen, and accepted the resignation of Bishop Francis Malone of the Diocese of Shreveport, Archbishop Checchio extends his prayerful congratulations and gratitude to God for His unending love of His Bride, the Church.

"God is so good in providing a wonderful bishop for the dedicated people, clergy and religious of Metuchen. Bishop Saparito is well prepared for this ministry through his many pastoral experiences in the Archdiocese of Newark and he loves New Jersey! May our Blessed Mother and St. Francis of Assisi come to his aid as he takes up the shepherding of the Church of Metuchen which I still pray for daily and love.

Today, we also congratulate Bishop Malone on his retirement and thank him for his episcopal ministry here in Louisiana. I join with the good people of the Shreveport Diocese in fervently praying to the Holy Spirit for a new good shepherd for that lovely portion of God’s vineyard. We also thank Bishop Marshall of Alexandria for temporarily taking on the role of apostolic administrator and assure him of our support and prayers."

Archbishop James F. Checchio

Archbishop of New Orleans

September 15, 2026

There is a new Bishop for Metuchen New Jersey; following the service of now Archbishop James Checchio of New Orleans

Appointment of the Bishop of Metuchen (U.S.A.)

September 15, 2026

This morning it was announced that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Michael A. Saporito, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, as Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen. The Diocese of Metuchen has had an administrator since November of 2025, when then-Bishop James F. Checchio was installed as the Coadjutor Archbishop of New Orleans.

Bishop Saporito said of his appointment: 
"I am deeply grateful and humbled that Pope Leo XIV has called me to serve as the Bishop of Metuchen. While it is not easy to leave the people and places that have formed and sustained me, I welcome this new mission with trust in the Holy Spirit. I look forward to meeting the priests, deacons, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese, walking with them as we seek to follow Jesus Christ and bear witness to the hope of the Gospel." 

Most Rev. Michael Arsenio Saporito was born on May 3, 1962, in Newark, New Jersey to the late Arsenio and Anna Saporito. He is the third of four children, with an older brother Robert, and a sister Joanne and brother Richard, who are both deceased. He has many loving in-laws, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces. 

He was raised in Bloomfield and attended St. Thomas the Apostle Elementary School and Paul VI Regional High School in Clifton. Graduating from Rutgers University Newark in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting, he was employed in public accounting for three years after graduation. He entered Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in September of 1987 and was ordained a priest on May 30, 1992. 

Bishop Saporito served in parishes of the Archdiocese of Newark throughout his years in ministry. He has served as Parochial Vicar at St. Joseph's Church in West Orange, St. Peter the Apostle in River Edge, Our Lady of the Visitation in Paramus, and St. Elizabeth in Wyckoff. He served as Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Maplewood from 2004-2011, and Pastor of St. Helen Parish in Westfield from 2011 to 2020. 

On the archdiocesan level, Bishop Saporito has served as an assistant vocation director, and as a member of both the Priest Personnel Board as well as the Presbyteral Council. He was the Dean of the Deanery covering Maplewood, South Orange and Irvington. 

On February 27, 2020, Pope Francis named Reverend Michael A. Saporito as an Auxiliary 
Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark. He was ordained to the episcopacy on June 30, 
2020, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, and has been the Regional 
Bishop of Bergen County over the last 6 years. Within the United States Conference of 
Catholic Bishops, Bishop Saporito has served on multiple sub-committees, most recently as a Member of the Audit Subcommittee of the Committee on Budget and Finance. 

Throughout his years in ministry, Bishop Saporito has been most devoted to the New 
Evangelization, offering programs of faith development and awakening people to a deeper faith in Jesus Christ, while working tirelessly to foster parish renewal and intentional discipleship. He has served on the Evangelization Commission of the Archdiocese of Newark and as a Board Member for Christlife, an Evangelization apostolate of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland. Most recently, he has been guiding the pastoral planning initiative of the Archdiocese of Newark "We Are His Witnesses" and has been a part of the Synod team. 

The Diocese of Metuchen was founded in 1981 by Pope St. John Paul II, and consists of the New Jersey counties of Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, and Warren (approx. 1,429 
square miles). The total population of the area is estimated to be 1.5 million people with a Catholic population of over 670,000. There are 90 parishes, served by 192 priests and 196 deacons, and 193 men and women religious. In the field of Catholic education, the 
diocese has 20 elementary schools, and 4 high schools. Bishop-designate Saporito will be the sixth bishop in Metuchen's history. 

Archbishop James Checchio statement on SSPX. Reminds faithful that the Archdiocese of New Orleans indeed has valid & licit Traditional Latin Masses

 

A Statement from Archbishop Checchio on the SSPX Excommunications

July 3, 2026

by Archbishop James Checchio

Having heard that the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X consecrated four new bishops this week against the explicit will of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, and with disregard of his public cries for unity and his prior request for them to not proceed with the consecrations, I was truly disheartened. Whenever there is division in the Church, the entire body of Christ is affected. “If one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it,” (1 Cor. 12:26)
 
In response, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has issued a very strong decree detailing the excommunication of all the bishops involved in the illicit consecrations. Moreover, the decree detailed that any clergy and lay faithful who continue to adhere to the schism of the SSPX also incur the penalty of excommunication. While this sounds like a strong penalty, we must always remember that excommunication is not intended to be permanent but is a charitable call to repentance and reconciliation.
 
This is particularly pertinent to the people of the Archdiocese of New Orleans given that there are two SSPX Chapels located within the archdiocese.  Of note, the decree stipulates that all clergy of the SSPX from this day forward are to be held as schismatics until they repent and are reconciled to the Body of Christ. Thus, the sacraments that they celebrate are henceforth illicit, and more significantly, the absolutions they offer in the Sacrament of Penance and the Marriages they witness are invalid. This is especially noteworthy because while Pope Francis had previously extended the faculties for these two sacraments to the priests of SSPX, the DDF has noted that they can no longer validly celebrate them. 
 
This is a significant moment in our Church’s history, and it is especially a time for us to unite in prayer for our brothers and sisters in the SSPX. Prayer and renewed unity are the only answers to division. I know there to be many faithful and sincere people in the archdiocese who attend liturgical celebrations in the SSPX. Their commitment to traditional values and their emphasis on strong family lives are very commendable. But now, more than ever, they need our prayers that they do not follow in the footsteps of those bishops who have placed themselves outside the Barque of Peter.
 
I want to offer a word of encouragement and invitation to those members of the SSPX who so dearly love the Traditional Latin Mass but who also wish to be in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, both clergy and lay faithful. You most certainly have a place here in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. To the priests who serve in these chapels, my prayers and openness to you are united to the Sacred Heart of Jesus’ desire that we may be one. To the lay faithful who attend liturgies in these chapels, as well, I beg you to seek the counsel of priests of our Archdiocese as you discern the Lord’s call to abide in communion with Peter and the Church Christ founded.  We have several locations that offer the Usus Antiquior of the Roman Rite, and I am confident you can and will find a home if you wish. I have already visited one of these communities for Sunday Mass and will visit another in the coming weeks. The people are inspiring and I am sure you will find them so too. Please, come and be reconciled to God.
 
Our Holy Father Pope Leo, in his opening address to the cardinals at the most recent consistory said, “I need your support: strong, explicit, and public.” My brothers and sisters, this also applies to all of us as members of the Body of Christ. Our support of the Holy Father must be strong, explicit, and public. We've known this truth from the beginning of our Church:  Ubi Petrus ibi ecclesia—where Peter is, there is the Church.
 
Pray for those who are hurt or confused by these most recent occurrences, pray for the clergy and all lay faithful of the SSPX that they might seek to be reconciled to Christ and His Church, pray for unity among all Christians, pray for unity in our own Archdiocese, and especially, join me in praying for our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV. Please pray for me too, and know of my love, prayers and gratitude for you all!  

The moment Archbishop Checchio receives the Palium

 

Archbishops are called to build unity, serve the truth in charity, pope says

June 29, 2026

by Carol Glatz/Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- With bishops leading the way, every Christian should help build unity in the Church and the world by putting Christ at the center and drawing others near while being attentive to their needs, Pope Leo XIV said.  
 
"Communion within the Church is not built by clinging rigidly to one’s own position, but by seeking, in all hearts, points of encounter in the truth, in whose light alone each person becomes a means of growth for another," he said during his homily at Mass on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul June 29

"It is important for us today to look to these two saints -- Peter and Paul -- to understand how we, in turn, can be apostles and builders of unity, and generous servants of the truth in charity," he said.
 
The feast day celebration in St. Peter's Basilica included the traditional blessing of the pallium, the woolen band adorned with crosses that the heads of archdioceses wear around their shoulders over their Mass vestments and symbolizes an archbishop's unity with the pope and his authority and responsibility to care for the flock the pope entrusted to him.
 
The pallium, Pope Leo said, expresses "the commitment of every shepherd -- and also of every Christian -- to take upon their shoulders the brothers and sisters entrusted to them, like so many lambs of the Lord's flock, and to sacrifice their energy, time, effort and even their lives for them. They do so in order that the Gospel may reach everyone, and the whole world may find in it harmony and concord."
 
According to the Vatican, 35 archbishops from 19 countries who were named over the past 12 months received the palliums. Four of them were from the United States: Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso of Mobile, Alabama; Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks of New York; Archbishop James R. Golka of Denver; and Archbishop James F. Checchio of New Orleans.
 
The pope blessed the palliums after his homily and after they were brought up from the crypt above the tomb of St. Peter. Each archbishop, wearing red vestments, then approached Pope Leo by the altar and knelt as the pope placed the pallium over their shoulders. Each shared an embrace with the pope and a few words.
 
In his homily, the pope reflected on Sts. Peter and Paul -- two very different saints who were martyred on different days and yet share the same feast day.
 
Pope Leo called them "two pillars of the Church," who provide important examples for today's bishops and all Christians.
 
St. Peter knew how to "acknowledge his mistakes and repent, without becoming discouraged and without failing in his mission to proclaim the Gospel and gather Christ's flock, even unto martyrdom," the pope said.
 
When a controversial issue threatened to divide the community, he said, St. Peter listened to his brothers and made a decision, guided by the Holy Spirit, that preserved communion and ushered in a new era for the entire People of God.
 
St. Peter holding the keys represents his "faithful and patient concern for unity," he said, because a key doesn't break down a door, rather it "opens and closes them by finding the proper levers within and guiding their movements, so that locks may release, bolts withdraw, and doors turn freely on their hinges, thereby joining rooms together and transforming many isolated spaces into one welcoming home."
 
"In this light, we can interpret the mission entrusted by the Lord to Peter and his successors for the benefit of the entire holy People of God. It is a mission to listen, with his help, to the voice of each person; to discern inspirations; to guide the way; to correct errors; to instruct, encourage, exhort and accompany our brothers and sisters so that, docile to the action of the same Spirit, they may cooperate in the salvation of one another and of all humanity," he said.
 
St. Peter's example, therefore, "is an invitation to every Christian to become a builder of unity, placing God at the center of one’s life and drawing close to one’s brothers and sisters, attentive to their circumstances and needs," he said, so that God's message "might be fully proclaimed."
 
St. Paul, whose symbols are the book and the sword, is the "tireless herald of the Good News," he said.
 
The symbols represent the word of God being capable of penetrating and transforming even the hardest of hearts, as was seen with St. Paul's conversion, who was led away from violence and onto "the path of love," he said.
 
St. Augustine said, "God took the persecutor of the Church and made him a messenger of peace. He forgave him all his sins and placed him in a ministry where he could forgive the sins of others," Pope Leo added.
 
"Let us pray to Sts. Peter and Paul that they may sustain us on our journey of communion in the footsteps of the Savior," he said.
 
Keeping with a long tradition, a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, led by Orthodox Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis of Chalcedon, was present at the Mass.
 
The pope and the Orthodox metropolitan embraced behind the altar during the exchange of the sign of peace, and they descended the stairs below the main altar to pray at St. Peter's tomb after Mass ended.
Before processing out of the basilica, the pope also stood a few moments in prayer before the dark bronze statue of St. Peter, which is clothed on his feast day with ornate vestments and a jeweled tiara.
 
Sts. Peter and Paul understood and proclaimed the Gospel with their own distinctive voice, Pope Leo said before praying the Angelus with those gathered in St. Peter's Square.
 
Their stark differences do not make them adversaries, he said, on the contrary, "they became the symbol of the many other diversities that the one Spirit unites into a single whole."
 
"The patron saints of the Church of Rome experienced the challenges of communion; they knew it, served it, and proclaimed it as a sacrament of divine life," the pope said. "Their witness has contributed decisively to ensuring that the Christian presence in history is directed not toward dominion, but toward service, unity and reconciliation."

On this Solemnity of Sts. Peter & Paul Pope Leo XIV imposes the pallium on the new Archbishops including Archbishop James Checchio of New Orleans

 

Pope

• Pope Leo XIV
• saints and blessed
• mass
• homily
• Rome

Pope invites new Archbishops to be 'Good Shepherds' on Feast of Saints Peter and Paul

During the Mass for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to be inspired by the two Patrons of Rome who, despite their flaws, became extraordinary witnesses to the Gospel. He also invites the new Metropolitan Archbishops receiving their pallium to imitate the Lord and be Good Shepherds to the faithful entrusted to them.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"It is important for us today to look to these two Saints—Peter and Paul—to understand how we, in turn, can be apostles and builders of unity, and generous servants of the truth in charity."

Pope Leo XIV offered this reminder during the Mass he celebrated Monday morning for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Patrons of Rome, in St. Peter's Basilica.

READ POPE LEO XIV'S FULL HOMILY

During the Mass, there was the traditional blessing and imposition of the pallium for the new Metropolitan Archbishops.

Imposition of the pallium (@Vatican Media)

Two pillars of the Church

In his homily, the Holy Father reflected on the patron saints of the city and Diocese of Rome, recalling that Peter was chosen by Jesus as shepherd of His flock, while Paul was chosen as Apostle to the Gentiles. "In them," he said, "we venerate two pillars of the Church."

Turning first to Peter, the Pope recalled that the first Pope fostered unity and communion even in times of division and turmoil.

Peter was not perfect

This magnanimity, however, Pope Leo observed, "does not mean that Peter is perfect."

Indeed, the Pope recalled that during the Passion, Peter denied the Master, only later shedding sincere tears of repentance. Paul himself, in different circumstances, rebuked Peter for the inconsistency of some of his actions.

"Yet Peter," Pope Leo said, "knows how to acknowledge his mistakes and repent, without becoming discouraged and without failing in his mission to proclaim the Gospel and gather Christ's flock, even unto martyrdom—a fate which he suffered here in Rome, not far from where we are gathered."

Peter, the Pope suggested, ultimately embraced the mission entrusted to him by the Lord: "to listen, with His help, to the voice of each person; to discern inspirations; to guide the way; to correct errors; to instruct, encourage, exhort and accompany our brothers and sisters so that, docile to the action of the same Spirit, they may cooperate in the salvation of one another and of all humanity."

Peter's example, he said, "is an invitation to every Christian to become a builder of unity, placing God at the center of one's life and drawing close to one's brothers and sisters, attentive to their circumstances and needs," so that "we learn to live with one another in charity, so that the message might be fully proclaimed."

Statue of St. Peter in St. Peter's Basilica (@Vatican Media)

God won over the heart of young Saul

"This," Pope Leo continued, "is also the teaching of Paul, the other great apostle we celebrate today and the tireless herald of the Good News."

God, the Pope said, accomplished something wonderful in the heart of the young Saul, winning him over, bringing him first to conversion to the Gospel and giving him a new name, and then sending him to proclaim it throughout the world.

Like Peter, the Holy Father recalled, Paul bore witness to the Gospel even to the point of giving his life in this very city.

"The Apostle to the Gentiles," he said, "allowed himself to be transformed by the power of God's word, which rescued him from the way of violence and led him onto the path of love."

Pope Leo recalled that Saint Augustine, commenting on Paul's conversion and mission, observed that "God took the persecutor of the Church and made him a messenger of peace," forgiving all his sins and placing him in a ministry where he could forgive the sins of others.

New Archbishops entrusted with lambs of the Lord's flock

Looking to these Saints, Pope Leo suggested, can teach us how to promote unity and serve the truth in charity.

The Pope recalled that, in this spirit, they were about to celebrate the ancient and moving rite of the conferral of the pallia on the Metropolitan Archbishops.

"These bands of white wool adorned with crosses indeed express the commitment of every shepherd—and also of every Christian—to take upon their shoulders the brothers and sisters entrusted to them, like so many lambs of the Lord's flock, and to sacrifice their energy, time, effort and even their lives for them."

Pope Leo noted that at the heart of this selflessness is the desire that "the Gospel may reach everyone, and the whole world may find in it harmony and concord."

The Pope also said that, with these sentiments, he joyfully extended cordial greetings to the members of the Delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople present.

May Sts. Peter and Paul sustain us on our journey in the Savior's footsteps

Finally, the Holy Father invited, "Let us pray to Saints Peter and Paul that they may sustain us on our journey of communion in the footsteps of the Savior."

This, Pope Leo concluded, is the path "that the Lord has laid out for us, the very thing for which He prayed to the Father at the Last Supper, and the goal toward which He has taught us to aspire with confident hope."

As our own Archbishop Checchio receives the Pallium next Monday; here is some good info on just what is the Pallium

 

The Pallium: A Special Sign of a Bishop’s Love

June 24, 2026

by Betty-Ann Hickey

In St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, on June 29, the feast day of Saints Peter and Paul, Archbishop Checchio and the new metropolitan archbishops (that’s an archbishop who is the leader of an archdiocese) from around the world will receive a special garment called the pallium from Pope Leo XIV.

The pallium is a circular band made of soft white wool that is worn over an archbishop’s shoulders during important Masses. It has two woolen strips that hang down: one in the front and one in the back. Only an archbishop or the pope can wear a pallium.

The pallium is rich with meaning. Its shape looks like a yoke, the wooden beam that farm animals wear when pulling a plow in a field. A yoke usually connects two animals so they can work together. Jesus said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light, so when we work together with Jesus, he helps us even when the work seems too hard. This reminds the archbishops that God has called them to work with the pope and with Jesus to faithfully to care for the people in the part of the world given to them.

The six black crosses on the pallium remind us of the wounds Jesus received during his crucifixion. In three of those crosses there are metal pins, which represent the nails that held Jesus to the Cross. The ends of the hanging strips are covered in black cloth, making them look like the legs of a lamb. This helps us remember Jesus, the Lamb of God, and the gentle care a bishop should show to the people entrusted to him.

Even the wool used to make the pallium is special. It comes from lambs that are blessed by the pope each year on the Feast of Saint Agnes, January 21. The lambs are later shorn, and their wool is woven into the pallia. This reminds us that just like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, lovingly carries his sheep on his shoulders, our archbishop loves and cares for us too.

The night before they are given to the new archbishops, the pallia are placed near the tomb of Saint Peter beneath the main altar of Saint Peter’s Basilica. They stay there all night until it is time for the Mass.

The pallium is much more than a piece of clothing. It is a sign that bishops are called to be loving shepherds who care for God’s people. It also shows their unity with the Pope and their mission to help others grow closer to Jesus Christ.

When you see the pallium, you can remember that Jesus loves us very much and has given us an archbishop to love, teach and guide us.

The Papal Foundation meets in Rome; Mass for the foundation presided by our own Archbishop Checchio

 

(R-L) Ward Fitzgerald, President, The Papal Foundation, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Chairman, Archbishop Nelson Perez of Philadelphia, David Savage, Executive Director 

Vatican

• charitable organizations
• Rome

The Papal Foundation visits Rome to reaffirm cooperation and support for the poor

Several representatives of The Papal Foundation are making a pilgrimage to Rome from the United States and Canada, focusing on furthering support for the poor and advancing the Church’s mission worldwide, with a central meeting with Pope Leo XIV.

By Karol Darmoros and Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik

The Papal Foundation's pilgrimage to Rome, taking place from April 29 to May 2, includes a rich spiritual and formation program, featuring Masses, meetings, and visits to key locations connected with the work of the Holy See. 

Archbishop James Checchio presides over the Mass for the members and staff of the Papal Foundation

On the first day, Mass was celebrated at St. Mary of the Angels, with Archbishop James Checchio as celebrant. In his homily, he emphasized that Christians are called to be apostles of the Risen Jesus Christ.

On the second day, special attention was given to a tour of Vatican Radio and Vatican News, along with meetings involving the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini; Editorial Director Andrea Tornielli; Theological-Pastoral Director Nataša Govekar; and the Deputy Director of the Press Office of the Holy See, Sister Nina Krapić.

Among the initiatives discussed was the introduction of the new Vatican News widget. As Pope Leo XIV wrote, the widget of Vatican News “is a tool for evangelization; it offers an opportunity to create a network and exchange gifts."

Among other activities, the Stewards of St. Peter also visited the US Embassy to the Holy See.

Mission of the Foundation

During a welcome reception in Rome, the work of The Papal Foundation was presented. The U.S.-based charitable organization supports the Holy Father's initiatives in developing countries. 

“The mission of The Papal Foundation is to serve the Holy Father and the Roman Catholic Church. We bring and offer our faith, our energy, and our financial resources to share the love of Christ with our poorest brothers and sisters,” emphasized the Foundation’s president, Ward Fitzgerald.

Concrete Assistance

As noted by the organization’s Vice President, Tim Ristoff, the scale of support is significant, especially in Africa.

“Since 1997, 855 general grants have been awarded, totaling 63 million dollars, and since 2011, 69 humanitarian grants worth 4.9 million dollars,” he explained. He also added that 2,700 students have received support through the Saint John Paul II Scholarship Program.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, stressed that its activities are part of the mission of the universal Church and provide concrete assistance to those most in need.

Support also includes the reconstruction of churches, assistance for schools, orphanages, and healthcare centers, as well as initiatives for children and those most at risk of exclusion.

The Foundation operates in more than 130 countries and, since 1988, has distributed over 270 million dollars for charitable, educational, and humanitarian projects. It shows particular care for children in difficult situations and for those most vulnerable to exclusion.

Growth and Cooperation

During the welcome event in Rome, attention was also drawn to the dynamic development of the Foundation’s initiatives. Over the past 18 months, 27 new donor families have joined, enabling the organization to achieve nearly half of its five-year goal.

The visit to the Vatican marks an important moment in strengthening ties with the universal Church and confirms The Papal Foundation’s commitment to serving those most in need.

Archbishop Checchio gives Good Friday interview to WWL 870 New Orleans

 

Archbishop Checchio: Record number of converts to be baptized, confirmed

 in New Orleans on Easter Sunday, "I think there's an awakening."

Hear the Archbishop speak on the meaning of Good Friday and about the almost 

750 attendees who will be baptized, take first communion, or be confirmed

 this easter Sunday.

ByNathan RizzutiApr 03, 2026

While Christianity in the United States and most of the Western Hemisphere faces diminishing attendance across most denominations, Archbishop James Checchio joined WWL's Dave Cohen to relay that, this year, for New Orleans and many parishes nationwide, attendance, confirmation, and baptisms have bucked the trend.

"Mass attendance is up. Our number of converts is up," says the Archbishop. "At Easter vigil, we baptize people, confirm people, and give (first) communion. We have close to 750 coming into the church this year. That's the most in the history of the Archdiocese. A couple of years ago, it was 200."

What's behind the rise? Checchio says that, as much as he'd like to, the credit is not his to take.

"Obviously, it's the Holy Spirit. It's going on across the country. Many dioceses and archdioceses have seen great increases this year," Checchio reveals. "I think there's an awakening. People want more and something deeper, something that gives meaning to their lives. I think the church, 2,000 years after Christ came, has a lot to offer. I think people are realizing that."

Checchio explains that much of the decline in attendance in recent years ties back to major impacts of both the church's sex abuse scandals and the COVID pandemic.

"So much of what we do is habit. People get in bad habits - with COVID, that happened. People stopped going to church because they couldn't go to church," says Checchio. "They get out of the habit of going and don't. And they might not notice a big difference at first...But when you're not going, it changes you. The Eucharist and the Mass do something for us. It helps us. Nourishes us. Strengthens us. We have to get back in the habit and invite people to come back."

However, despite the struggles, the new Archbishop of New Orleans remains committed to the power of the message the church offers.

"We're going through Good Friday right now, and we read about the agony in the garden. The apostles fell asleep on him as he was going through this excruciating pain," Checchio says. "The apostles fell asleep with Jesus at that time. We fall asleep sometimes, too. All of us."

Checchio also shared thoughts on his acclimation to New Orleans.

"It's a beautiful city. I'm honored to be a part of it. And I'm thankful for the warm welcome," Checchio says. "The people are so welcoming and gracious and loving that it makes it easy to love them. And that's my job - to love them."

Listen to his radio interview here:  New Orleans Archbishop on record converts, baptisms | WWL