Pope Leo XIV Names Bishop James R. Golka Sixth Archbishop of Denver
- Archdiocese of Denver
- 4 hours ago
- 1 min read
DENVER — Pope Leo XIV has named Bishop James R. Golka as the sixth Archbishop of Denver, the Holy See announced early February 7, 2026.
Archbishop-designate Golka, 59, is the current Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs. He will succeed Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila, 75, who has been chief shepherd of the Archdiocese of Denver since 2012.
Archbishop Aquila’s retirement — which he offered to the pope upon his 75th birthday, Sept. 24, 2025, as required under canon law — was accepted by the Holy Father.
Archbishop-designate Golka will be installed as Denver’s 6th Archbishop during a solemn Mass on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Upon his installation, Archbishop-designate Golka will assume pastoral responsibility for Colorado’s largest diocese and metropolitan see, which is home to more than 600,000 Catholics, 148 parishes and 31 Catholic schools.
On April 30, 2021, Pope Francis named him the third Bishop of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, succeeding the late Bishop Michael Sheridan. His episcopal ordination took place on June 29, 2021, at Holy Apostles Church in Colorado Springs, with Archbishop Samuel Aquila and then-Archbishop Christophe Pierre serving as co-consecrators. His episcopal motto is “Stewards of God’s Mysteries.”
Archbishop Aquila will introduce Archbishop-designate Golka to Denver’s faithful during a news conference at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 7, 2026. The news conference will also be livestreamed at archden.org/live-events.
