Fernand J. Cheri

Fernand Joseph Cheri (born January 28, 1952) is a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He has served as the auxiliary bishop of New Orleans from 2015.

Fernand Joseph Cheri III was born in New Orleans to Fernand Jr. and Gladys CheriHe received his high school education at St. John Vianney Preparatory Seminary in New Orleans. He went on to study at St. Joseph Seminary College in Covington, Louisiana and Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans by Archbishop Philip Hannan on May 20, 1978. After his ordination he received a master's degree in theology from Xavier University of Louisiana's Institute for Black Catholic Studies.

After ordination Cheri served as the parochial vicar at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in New Orleans and St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Marrero, Louisiana from 1978 to 1984.He then became the pastor of St. Joseph the Worker in 1984 and after a year he became the pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in New Orleans from 1985 to 1990.He became administrator of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Parish in New Orleans from 1990 to 1991.Cheri entered the novitiate of the Sacred Heart Province of the Order of Friars Minor, more commonly known as the Franciscans, in 1992.He professed solemn vows in the order on August 26, 1996.

As a Franciscan, Cheri served as chaplain at Hales Franciscan High School in Chicago from 1994 to 1996.He served as pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Nashville, Tennessee from 1996 to 2002. During that time he also served as a member of the provincial council for the Franciscan Province of the Sacred Heart from 1999 to 2002.Cheri was assigned to St. Benedict the Black Friary in East St. Louis, Illinois From 2002 to 2007 and taught high school in East St. Louis. He undertook continuing education from 2007 to 2008, and then served as director of the Office of Friar Life in East St. Louis from 2008 to 2009, and as associate director of campus ministry at Xavier University in New Orleans from 2010 to 2011.He served as director of campus ministry at Quincy University and as vicar of the Holy Cross Friary in Quincy, Illinois from 2011 to 2015.Cheri has written articles and books on Black Catholic liturgy, and served as an archivist of Black religious music.

Cheri was named the Titular Bishop of Membressaand Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans by Pope Francis on January 12, 2015.His episcopal ordination took place on March 23, 2015 at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France.Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans was the ordaining bishop.Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Atlanta and Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD of Memphis were the co-consecrators.