Nelson Jesus Pérez | |
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Philadelphia | |
 Pérez in July 2021 | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| See | Archdiocese of Philadelphia |
| Appointed | January 23, 2020 |
| Installed | February 18, 2020 |
| Predecessor | Charles J. Chaput |
| Previous posts |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 20, 1989 by Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua |
| Consecration | July 25, 2012 by William Murphy,Charles J. Chaput, andPaul Henry Walsh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1961-06-16)June 16, 1961 (age 64) |
| Motto | Confide et spera (Trust and hope) |
| Styles of Nelson Jesus Perez | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
Nelson Jesus Pérez (born June 16, 1961) is anAmerican Catholic prelate who has served asArchbishop of Philadelphia since 2020. He was previouslyBishop of Cleveland from 2017 to 2020 and anauxiliary bishop of theDiocese of Rockville Centre from 2012 to 2017.
Nelson Pérez was born on June 16, 1961, inMiami. His parents, David and Emma Pérez, were both exiles fromCuba.[1] As a child, the family moved toWest New York, New Jersey.
Pérez attended P.S. Number 4 andMemorial High School in West New York. Pérez attendedMontclair State University inMontclair, New Jersey, where he earned aBachelor of Arts in 1983.
He then began teaching at Colegio La Piedad, aCatholic elementary school inCarolina, Puerto Rico.
He then attendedSt. Charles Borromeo Seminary inPhiladelphia, where he earned aMaster of Arts and aMaster of Divinity degree in 1988 and 1989, respectively.[2]
Pérez was ordained to the priesthood by CardinalAnthony Bevilacqua for theArchdiocese of Philadelphia on May 20, 1989. After his ordination, Pérez was appointedcurate at Saint Ambrose Parish inPhiladelphia. In 1993, he left this position to become the founding director of the Catholic Institute for Evangelization in Philadelphia.[2]
In 1994, Pérez assumed the additional job of teaching psychology and religious studies atLa Salle University in Philadelphia, working there until 2008. In 1998, Pérez was named aChaplain of His Holiness byPope John Paul II with the title ofmonsignor.[2]
In 2002, Pérez left his position at the Catholic Institute to become pastor of Saint William Parish in Philadelphia. The archdiocese moved him in 2009 to serve as pastor of Saint Agnes Parish inWest Chester, Pennsylvania. That same year, Pérez was named aPrelate of Honour of His Holiness byPope Benedict XVI.[2]
On June 8, 2012, Pérez was appointedtitular bishop ofCatrum andauxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Center by Pope Benedict XVI.[3] He received hisepiscopal consecration by BishopWilliam Murphy on July 25, 2012. Pérez was appointedepiscopal vicar for the Hispanic Ministry, overseeing fifty-four parishes.[2]
On July 11, 2017,Pope Francis appointed Pérez as the 11th bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland.[4][5] He was installed on September 5, 2017.
In 2018, Pérez protested theTrump administration's policy of separating the children ofundocumented immigrant families from their parents, declaring, "We've lost ourmoral compass."[6]
Pérez was named archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on January 23, 2020, byPope Francis, succeeding ArchbishopCharles J. Chaput. His installation Mass was celebrated on February 18, 2020.[7] He is the firstHispanic American bishop of Philadelphia.[8]
In July 2025, addressing themass deportation efforts by theTrump administration, Pérez issued a letter calling for solidarity with immigrants. In the letter, he wrote, "As the son of immigrants, I have found recent events particularly heartbreaking."[9] He continued to say, "[W]e strongly advocate for immigration policies that guarantee the protection of life, liberty, and property of all those who call the United States of America home, natural born citizens and those working toward citizenship alike."[9]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Archbishop of Philadelphia 2020–present | Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Bishop of Cleveland 2017–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by - | Auxiliary Bishop of Rockville Centre 2012–2017 | Succeeded by - |
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