“I am deeply grateful to the Holy Father for this appointment and his confidence in me,” said Archbishop-elect Nelson Perez during a press conference on Jan. 23 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where his appointment as the 14th bishop and the 10th archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was announced. His installation will take place on Feb. 18 in Philadelphia.
“It is with great joy tinged with a sense of sadness that I accept the appointment – joy that I will be returning to serve the archdiocese in which I was ordained to the priesthood, where I served as the pastor of two parishes and where I held several leadership positions within the archdiocese,” said the archbishop-elect. “And sadness that I will be leaving an area and the incredible people in Northeast Ohio I have come to love deeply.” He often speaks fondly of how warmly he was welcomed and accepted in the eight-county Diocese of Cleveland and how at home he feels there.