Bishop of Metuchen
The Most Rev. James F. 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.
Bishop Checchio was born in Camden April 21, 1966, 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.
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. Bishop 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.
Bishop 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.
Bishop 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 Diocese of Metuchen, Bishop Checchio currently serves the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as Chairman of the Audit Subcommittee for Budget & Finance, Member of the Administrative Committee, Chairman of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life & Vocations, Member of the Committee on Budget & Finance and Chairman of the Pontifical North American College Janiculum Hill Foundation. In addition, Bishop Checchio is 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.