Pope Francis has named Bishop Nelson J. Perez as the new Archbishop of Philadelphia.
The news came in a statement from the Holy See Press Office today, Jan. 23, 2020, noting the Holy Father accepted the resignation, after turning 75, of current Archbishop, Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap, and appointed as his successor, the current Bishop of Cleveland, Ohio.
Born on June 16, 1961 in Miami, Florida, Nelson Jesus Perez would go on to obtain a baccalaureate in Psychology from Montclair State University in New Jersey in 1983. Perez taught at elementary school, at Colegio la Piedad in Puerto Rico, and completed his ecclesiastical studies at the Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Pennsylvania, where he obtained his Master’s in Theology (1985-1989).
In May 20, 1989, he was ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
After priestly ordination, he carried out the following roles: Parish vicar of the Saint Ambrose Parish in Philadelphia (1989-1993); Vice-Director of the Archdiocesan Office for Hispanics (1990-1993); Director and Founder of the Catholic Institute for Evangelization (1993-2002); Parish priest of Saint William Parish in Philadelphia (2002-2009); Parish priest of Saint Agnes Parish in West Chester (2009-2012). In addition, he was a member of the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (2003-2005), Professor of Psychology and Religious Studies at La Salle University in Philadelphia (1994-2008).
Appointed titular Bishop of Catro and Auxiliary of Rockville Center, New York, on June 8, 2012 he received the episcopal consecration the following July 25th. As Auxiliary of Rockville Center he was Episcopal Vicar of Eastern Vicariate and for the Hispanic apostolate.
On July 11, 2017, he was transferred to the Cleveland office, taking office on September 5.
Within the Episcopal Conference he is Chair of the Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church , Member of the Administrative Committee and of the Committee on Religious Liberty.
Bishop Perez speaks English and Spanish.
