Bishop Michael A. Saporito appointed to lead Diocese of Metuchen
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Michael A. Saporito, who has served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen.
In a statement, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, offered his congratulations to the bishop:
“I join the faithful of the Archdiocese of Newark in congratulating Bishop Michael Saporito on his appointment by Pope Leo XIV as Bishop of Metuchen.
While his presence among us will be deeply missed, we are grateful for the many ways he has served our local Church, particularly his ministry as Regional Bishop for Bergen County, where he has accompanied our priests, parishes and people with great care and dedication. He has been a faithful servant of the Gospel and, to me, a brother and friend. The Holy Father has now entrusted him with a new flock, and I know he will serve the people of Metuchen with the same generous spirit he has shown in his ministry among us.
I ask the faithful of the Archdiocese of Newark to join me in praying for Bishop Saporito and for the people of Metuchen as they begin this new chapter together. May the Lord guide him, strengthen him and fill his ministry with joy. Ad multos annos!”
Words of gratitude from Bishop Saporito
“I am deeply grateful and humbled that Pope Leo XIV has called me to serve as the Bishop of Metuchen,” Bishop Saporito said in a statement. “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.”
Bishop Saporito, age 64, was born in Newark and raised in Bloomfield. Ordained in 1992, he served in several parishes in the Archdiocese of Newark during the early years of his priesthood. Beginning in May 2004, he was pastor of Saint Joseph Parish in Maplewood for almost seven years. He then served as pastor of Saint Helen’s Parish in Westfield until his appointment as auxiliary bishop in February 2020.
Long involved in the Church’s new evangelization efforts, Bishop Saporito served on the Archdiocese of Newark’s Evangelization Commission and as a board member of Christlife, an evangelization apostolate based in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Starting in June 2025, he led the implementation of the We Are His Witnesses initiative for the Archdiocese of Newark.
As the new bishop of the Metuchen Diocese, Bishop Saporito will now shepherd more than 670,000 Catholics in 90 parishes across Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, and Warren counties. They are served by 192 priests, 196 deacons, and 193 men and women religious. The diocese was established in 1981 by Saint Pope John Paul II, with Saint Francis of Assisi Cathedral in Metuchen as its mother church.
Bishop James F. Checchio, the previous bishop of Metuchen, was installed as coadjutor of the Archdiocese of New Orleans in November 2025. He was named archbishop of New Orleans earlier this year.
