Nelson J. Perez

Nelson Jesus Pérez (born June 16, 1961) is an American Catholic prelate serving as archbishop of Philadelphia since 2020. He was previously Bishop of Cleveland from 2017 to 2020 and an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre from 2012 to 2017.

Early life and education Pérez was born on June 16, 1961, in Miami. His parents, David and Emma Pérez, were both exiles from Cuba. As a child, the family moved to West New York, New Jersey.

Pérez attended P.S. Number 4 and Memorial High School in West New York. Pérez attended Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1983.

He then began teaching at Colegio La Piedad, a Catholic elementary school in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

He then attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, where he earned a Master of Arts and a Master of Divinity degree in 1988 and 1989, respectively.

Career Ordination and priesthood Pérez was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on May 20, 1989. After his ordination, Pérez was appointed curate at Saint Ambrose Parish in Philadelphia. In 1993, he left this position to become the founding director of the Catholic Institute for Evangelization in Philadelphia. He received his episcopal consecration by Bishop William Murphy on July 25, 2012. Pérez was appointed episcopal vicar for the Hispanic Ministry, overseeing fifty-four parishes. He was installed on September 5, 2017.

In 2018, Pérez protested the Trump administration's policy of separating the children of undocumented immigrant families from their parents, declaring, "We've lost our moral compass."

Archbishop of Philadelphia Pérez was named archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on January 23, 2020, by Pope Francis, succeeding Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. His installation Mass was celebrated on February 18, 2020. He is the first Hispanic American bishop of Philadelphia.

In July 2025, addressing the mass deportation efforts by the Trump 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." He continued to say, "we 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."