Samuel Joseph Aquila

Samuel Joseph Aquila (; born September 24, 1950) is an American Catholic prelate who served as archbishop of Denver in Colorado from 2012 to 2026. He was bishop of Fargo from 2002 to 2012. He is on the board of directors for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.

Biography Early life Aquila was born on September 24, 1950, in Burbank, California. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Denver at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver by Archbishop James Casey on June 5, 1976.

In 1999, Archbishop Charles Chaput appointed Aquila as rector of the new St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver. He was also named chief executive officer of the Our Lady of the New Advent Theological Institute at the seminary. In 2000, Pope John Paul II named Aquila as an Honorary Prelate (Monsignor).

Coadjutor bishop and bishop of Fargo On May 29, 2001, John Paul appointed Aquila coadjutor bishop of Fargo. Aquila received his episcopal consecration at Saint Mary Cathedral in Fargo on August 24, 2001, from Archbishop Harry Flynn. Aquila became bishop of Fargo upon the resignation of Bishop James Sullivan on March 18, 2002.

On February 24, 2005, John Paul II named Aquila the administrator of the Diocese of Sioux Falls; that ended with the consecration of Paul J. Swain as bishop there in October 2006.

Archbishop of Denver On May 29, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI named Aquila Archbishop of Denver. He was installed on July 18, 2012, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver.

In 2018, Aquila released a letter on the sexual abuse charges against then-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. Aquila said that a culture of selfishness and deviated sexual morals, which he claimed had increased since the sexual revolution of the 1960s, has deceived clergy and lay people into such behavior. He urged the Church to return to its principles of human dignity and love founded in Christ.

In September 2024, Aquila denounced Amendment 79, a proposed amendment to the Colorado State Constitution that would codify abortion rights for women in the state. Amendment 79 passed in November 2024 with a 61% majority.

Aquila submitted his resignation on his 75th birthday as required. Pope Leo XIV accepted it on February 7, 2026, naming James Robert Golka as his successor.