Philadelphia Archbishop to head up CRS for the USCCB

 

Philly archbishop to head Catholic Relief Services board of directors

By Kevin J. Jones

Denver, Colo., Nov 22, 2022 / 16:30 pm

Philadelphia’s Archbishop Nelson Pérez will serve as the next chairman of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) board of directors, heading up the U.S. bishops’ international relief agency that serves 193 million people in 116 countries.

“For more than 75 years, CRS has been a beacon of hope for poor and vulnerable families around the world,” Pérez said in a statement Tuesday. “Its humanitarian aid initiatives are often the difference between life and death for those facing poverty, famine, war, and epidemics.”

The three-year appointment is one of the first official acts of Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for Military Services, USA, who was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) at its fall assembly last week.

Broglio chose the Philadelphia archbishop for this role “because of his commitment to the agency’s mission,” Chieko Noguchi, a spokesperson for the USCCB, told CNA Nov. 22.

CRS was founded in 1943 and will mark its 80th anniversary next year. Together with more than 1,700 partners, it works in emergency response, agriculture, capacity-building, education, health care, justice and peacebuilding, microfinance, and water and sanitation. According to the agency’s fact sheet for fiscal year 2021, the agency had about $1 billion in annual revenue, 93% of which it dedicated to programs.

Pérez, 61, has served as archbishop of Philadelphia since February 2020. Born in Miami to Cuban exiles, he was ordained a priest for the archdiocese in 1989 and spent his time as a priest with a particular focus on Hispanic ministry. In 2012 Pope Benedict XVI named him an auxiliary bishop for New York’s Diocese of Rockville Centre, and Pope Francis named him bishop of Cleveland in 2017.

“We are thrilled to welcome Archbishop Pérez as the chairman of our board of directors,” Sean Callahan, president and CEO of CRS, said in a statement. “I look forward to working with him as we address some of the most pressing issues CRS has faced, including the global food crisis and the impact of climate change on people living in poverty.”

Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, the outgoing CRS board of directors chairman, praised Pérez as “a man of deep conviction about the need to protect the dignity of all of our brothers and sisters, particularly the most vulnerable among us.”

Pérez said he was “deeply grateful” to Caggiano.

“His work to promote and defend human life while fostering a more just and peaceful world is truly commendable/ I look forward to building on his efforts,” the archbishop said.

“In addition, I thank Archbishop Broglio for his confidence in my ability to provide counsel and serve the best interests of the poor and vulnerable,” he continued. “I am excited to collaborate with the other members of the CRS board whose hearts are on fire for Jesus and serve as his missionary disciples.”

“I ask for your prayers as I embrace this new role in service to the broader Church,” he said.

The U.S. bishops at their annual meeting elected three episcopal board members. Atlanta’s Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv., will serve his first term, while Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso and Bishop Anthony B. Taylor of Little Rock will both return to serve a second term.

On Jan. 1, Matthew M. McKenna of Bronxville, New York, will join the CRS board. McKenna is a resident executive at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. In that role, he launched an initiative to study the role of private-sector investment in rural economic development.

Archbishop Broglio will be leaving his role as chairman of CRS’ Overseas Operation Committee. Board member Stephen Walsh will also leave after six years on the CRS board.

While CRS is overseen by the USCCB, it is part of the Caritas Internationalis confederation of 162 Catholic relief agencies based around the world. The confederation is overseen by the Vatican and headquartered on Vatican territory in Rome.

On Tuesday Pope Francis removed the entire leadership of Caritas Internationalis, including its president, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. The pope appointed an administrator to improve the organization’s management. An independent review reportedly found deficiencies in Caritas Internationalis’ “management and procedures” and these were “seriously prejudicing team spirit and staff morale.”

The new Archbishop of Philadelphia and a farewell to the awesome Archbishop Charles Chaput

Nelson Perez installed as Philadelphia’s archbishop

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PHILADELPHIA — As Nelson J. Perez ascended to the archbishop’s throne-like ceremonial chair Tuesday, the thousands gathered in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul erupted in cheers, whoops and uproarious applause for the new head of the Philadelphia archdiocese.

“The church of Philadelphia receives a new shepherd, Nelson Perez,” retiring Archbishop Charles J. Chaput said as he opened the Mass for Perez’s installation as the 14th Roman Catholic bishop and 10th archbishop of Philadelphia.

“How ’bout that?” Perez said as he began speaking after more than an hour of procession and pageantry. “How ’bout that?”

He preached not from the pulpit but on a step right in front of the pews, opening his arms to the crowd. “I love you. I need you. I can’t do this alone,” he said, addressing Philadelphia Catholics. “This is not about me. This is about us.”

The Mass of Installation, a ceremony rich in pageantry and symbolism, came after the procession of more than 500 cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons and seminarians down 17th Street near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the city’s cathedral.

The son of Cuban immigrants, Perez is the first Latino to lead the five-county archdiocese and, at 58, is now the youngest serving archbishop in the United States. His appointment as head of the Philadelphia church represents a homecoming: He was ordained here in the 1980s and served nearly three decades leading local parishes in West Chester and the Olney and Lawncrest sections of the city.

“Bishop Perez, you don’t get to rest. The archdiocese needs you to be a shepherd that goes out to meet the flock with energy, zeal and warmth,” said Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s top ambassador to the United States, who started off the Mass by thanking Chaput for his service in Philadelphia over the last eight years. “This archdiocese is not the same as when you left it. The growing Latino population will look to you for leadership.”

Perez had earlier walked through the basilica doors with a huge smile, waving as attendees peeked over each other, eager to get a glimpse or a wave. He waved and sprinkled holy water on people as he passed. Many held up their phones to capture photos and videos; some even pumped their fists in the air as he entered.

Relaxed and familiar, Perez drew laughter as he greeted his new archdiocese, thanking other church leaders, his family and his former diocese of Cleveland for “two years and a half of just utter joy.”

His family stood as he pointed them out, saying his mother in Miami had just gotten out of the hospital and could not attend. “I’d like you to say, ‘Hi, Mom!’ and she’s watching on television — say hello to my mom,” Perez said.

And he spoke for a few moments in Spanish: “No puedo creer que he regresado, pero regrese,” he said to applause, saying he could not believe he was back in Philadelphia.

Delivering his first homily in his new role, Perez spoke about hope, addressing an archdiocese that has gone through a difficult period of parish mergers, financial difficulties and sex abuse investigations:

“I gave my life to a faith that believes that a dead man rose from the dead. Yes, I have hope. This is the foundation of our Christian faith,” he said. “This hope that no matter how dark it gets, no matter how much it appears that this is the end, it is not.”

He briefly addressed clergy sex abuse victims, said he was “so deeply sorry to these victims, and we continue to work with hope that we will make it right and be a source for them of healing.”

Perez said he embraces Pope Francis’ vision for the church as “a community of visionary disciples,” but that his plan “is that I have no plan. I hope to listen and visit over time, learn what the church in Philadelphia looks like today.”

He ended with a line he delivers at catechisms, and which he asked everyone to repeat with him: “Never, never, never underestimate the power of the spirit of God working through you, in you, and despite you.”

The event was being livestreamed on the archdiocesan website.

“It’s amazing how he has brought people together already,” said Abel Perez, 19, who was a part of a group gathered to welcome the archbishop, one of hundreds of clergy, parishioners and Catholic school groups in the cathedral and celebrating outside.

Chaput, stepping down after just over eight years at the helm of the 1.3-million-member archdiocese, received a standing ovation. “He was steadfast, and he made decisions that sometimes a father has to make. Decisions that sometimes drew him great suffering and criticism,” Perez said of Chaput in his sermon. “The archdiocese of Philadelphia owes this man an incredible debt of gratitude for who he was, is, and continues to be.”

Chaput’s predecessor, Cardinal Justin Rigali, Bishop Joseph Bambera of the Scranton diocese, Bishop Edward C. Malesic of the Greensburg diocese and Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves of San Juan, Puerto Rico, were among the many dignitaries in attendance.

One protester outside the church held a sign imploring Perez to investigate clergy sex abuse. Less than half an hour into the Mass, a group of Philadelphia police surrounded the man known as Philly Jesus as he stood off to the side in a white robe. After repeatedly asking him to leave, they took him by the arms and escorted him from the building. He was handcuffed outside the cathedral and given a ticket for trespassing.

Inside, Rosario Lopez, 28, sat in the back of the basilica with her mother and uncle, excited to see their former pastor assume such a prominent role in the church. After the family came to Philadelphia from El Salvador 18 years ago, they said Perez, then a priest at Lawncrest’s Church of St. William, made them feel more welcome.

“We are really happy,” said Lopez, who helped translate for her mother, Maria Inez, and uncle Gerardo Ramirez. “He understands what it is like to be an immigrant. He represents all of our countries.”

In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI tapped Perez to become an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Rockville Centre in Long Island, N.Y. Pope Francis named him bishop of Cleveland in 2017.

Fellow priests and former parishioners have described Pérez as a garrulous pastor who forges lasting personal connections with his colleagues and members of his flock. But despite his relatively unassuming demeanor, his appointment as the region’s first Latino archbishop is historic — and his age gives him a potential two-decade runway to leave his mark on the region’s Catholics.

(EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Tuesday’s ceremony will be the third time in eight years that Perez has celebrated an installation Mass for a new assignment. Organizers in Philadelphia have been preparing for the event since his appointment was announced last month.

Perez family and friends welcomed each other warmly with hugs and greetings, some in Spanish, in about 10 rows reserved for them near the front of the Cathedral.

Perez’s cousin, Christine Sesin-Florentino, 39, of Clifton, N.J., and her husband, Robert Florentino, have attended both of Perez previous installations in Rockville Centre and Cleveland. Asked how they compared to the one playing out Tuesday, she responded: “Bigger … There are a whole lot more people here.”

“This is a huge source of gratitude and religious pride for our family,” Sesin-Florentino said. “But on a family level, he’s just the same old funny Nelson. He’s one of our favorite cousins.”

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

With his installation complete, Perez will inherit day-to-day management of one of the largest Catholic infrastructures in the United States, comprising more than 215 parishes, 460 diocesan priests and a network of universities and schools serving more than 141,000 students.

But his appointment comes at a time of transition for the church. In recent years Roman Catholics in the Philadelphia region have been hit hard by many of the same issues that have plagued the global church: struggling finances, persistent declines in Mass attendance and legal battles over issues such as clergy sex-abuse.

Chaput has said that the archdiocese probably needs only half the number of parishes it currently has but vowed to leave those decisions to his successor. Perez has said he will need time to assess how the archdiocese has changed since he last worked here before making any definitive plans.

A big change in Philadelphia; Chaput out, Perez in

Pope Appoints Bishop Nelson J Perez As New Archbishop of Philadelphia

Accepts Resignation Presented by Archbishop Chaput Upon Turning 75 Years of Age

January 23, 2020 13:43Deborah Castellano LubovFrancis

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.

The Hispanic-Latin ministry conclusions given to Pope Francis

Copyright: ZENIT/ Sergio Mora

INTERVIEW: United States Bishops Hand Pope Francis the Conclusions of the 5th Hispanic-Latin Pastoral Ministry Meeting

ZENIT Speaks with Archbishop of LA & USCCB VP, Archbishop Gomez, Bishop Perez of Cleveland, & Auxiliary Bishop Cepeda of Detroit

September 17, 2019 08:11Sergio Morainterview, Interviews

A delegation of Bishops and laymen is in Rome, to hand Pope Francis a document with the Memoirs and Conclusions of the 5^th Meeting of the Hispanic-Latin Pastoral Ministry.

Pointed out in them is the necessity that Hispanics be able to serve the Church and the country better; that these faithful, in the majority young people, may assume their role as leaders and that these young people and young adults, duly formed, may be able to help the second and third generation of Latinos in the United States — all this without ceasing to be the voice of the migrants that have no voice, and without forgetting the integral formation of the sacramental and family life in communities, because the future vocations of priests and missionaries are in the families.

After a meeting they had today, Friday, with Professor Guzman Carriquiry, Secretary and in charge of the Vice-Presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, ZENIT spoke with the Archbishop of Los Angeles and Vice-President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Jose H. Gomez; with Bishop Nelson Perez of Cleveland; and with the Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, Arturo Cepeda. Also with them was the Directress for Cultural Diversity in the Church, Mar Munoz-Visoso, the National Coordinator of the 5^th Meeting, Alejandro Aguilera Titus, and the young University student Luis Pena, New Yorker of a Dominican family.

ZENIT: What are you going to hand to Pope Francis here in Rome?

Archbishop Gomez: We have come now to present to the Holy Father and the dicasteries, with the result of the 5^th meeting, born of a process of listening and discernment.

We are going to share with the Pope the fact that the Church in the United States is a living Church, and that the Latinos, in particular the young people, with this process of the 5^th Meeting, have understood that they are the leaders of the Church in the present and the future. We emphasize especially the youth pastoral ministry, so important also as a consequence of the Aparecida Meeting and the Synod on Young People.

ZENIT: What is the presence of Catholics in the United States?

Archbishop Gomez: The Latinos are spread throughout the country and in all the dioceses there is a good Latin presence. Catholics are the largest religious minority, 37% at the national level with the characteristic that more than 50% of them are younger than 18 and Hispanic descendants.

ZENIT: Is there a pastoral ministry dedicated to them?

Bishop Perez: Yes, there is a Hispanic pastoral ministry, which is stronger in some places than in others, according to the population, but growing in the whole country, which has aroused great interest on the part of the Bishops. In the four previous Meetings, and precisely through the process of consulting them, the Church has already responded to the Hispanic presence in the United States, and each one of these Meetings left its mark.

ZENIT: How did the 5^th Meeting come to fruition?

Bishop Perez: It was convoked by the Bishops in 2013, with a process of listening and questioning how the Hispanic presence can be better served, but also how the Hispanic presence can serve the Church and the country better, in other words, a two-way process.

One hundred and sixty-five dioceses (93%) took part in the 5^th Meeting, with 3,000 parishes, which consulted over 350,000 people, that is, it started from the grassroots and culminated in a national meeting with over 3,400 delegates and 125 United States Bishops. This was a moment of great openness of the U.S. Church to the Hispanics but also of great openness of the Hispanics to the Church, its hierarchy and its Bishops.

ZENIT: What objectives have been highlighted after these consultations and the 5^th Meeting?

Bishop Cepeda: One of the priorities and objectives in the results is to follow — as Bishops — the formation of the laity, of young people and of young adults, so that they can also help the second and third generation of Latinos in the United States.

Featured also is an integral formation of Ecclesial Movements, so that they can transform family and community life and our nation with their presence and dynamism. We have also understood the need to share the best practices, at the grass-roots level, in the dioceses and in the region.

Another topic is that of the accompaniment of our migrant brothers and sisters, having to pray for them, for their rights, for their dignity and to be a voice in their favor in the United States.

In addition, to seek an integral formation in the sacramental and family life of our communities, as the future priestly and missionary vocations are also in families.

ZENIT: In abuse cases the Pope wants zero tolerance. How is this working in the U.S.?

Archbishop Gomez: In all the dioceses of the United States we are convinced that there must be zero tolerance of sexual abuses. The Bishops, like all the faithful, are totally committed in the protection of children, and we are committed in all the parishes and in all the schools and ministries of the Church.

ZENIT: And what is the position of the Church on immigration?

Archbishop Gomez: On the subject of immigration, the Bishops of the United States are totally conscious of the need for a comprehensive migratory reform. For years politics has made it very difficult for this to happen. However, we continue praying and insisting that the United States must be an example for the whole world, because immigration is a reality and we must look for the way, so that people can move from one place to another in a legal manner. It’s important that each country respond to its obligation to protect its borders although, at the same time, each must have a migratory system that facilitates the movement of people.

ZENIT: How have young people lived through all this?

Luis Pena: All the events of the meeting were very important. They took into account what Pope Francis has contributed to the Church, in regard to listening to youth. We also realized that, if the community listens and invites a youth, specifically through formation, giving him the role of leader in the Church, a Hispanic youth could be the link between two generations or cultures that, otherwise, wouldn’t be achieved.  If we welcome young people — something that the Meeting did — we see that they have the capacity to contribute. So many young adults have taken important positions in the dioceses of the United States.

A new Bishop for Cleveland

Pope appoints Bishop Perez to lead Diocese of Cleveland

      The Long Island Catholic Staff

Bishop Nelson Perez speaks at St. Agnes Cathedral in June at a prayer service with recipients of certificates from the Office of Faith Formation. Ed Casey photo.

Pope Francis has named Bishop Nelson J. Perez, auxiliary bishop of Rockville Centre, to serve as Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio. The appointment was publicized July 11 in Washington, DC, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Perez was born in Miami, Florida, on June 16, 1961 to David and Emma Perez. Bishop Perez earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Montclair State University in 1983. He taught at Colegio la Piedad, a Catholic elementary school in Puerto Rico prior to entering Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia, where he earned Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Theology degrees in 1988 and 1989, respectively. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1989. In 1998, he was named a chaplain to His Holiness by Pope John Paul II and Prelate of Honor in 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI.
In June 2012, Bishop Perez was named auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and received Episcopal Ordination on July 25, 2012. In the Diocese of Rockville Centre, Bishop Perez served as the Episcopal Vicar for the Eastern Vicariate  and Vicar for Hispanic Ministry. He served as a member of the Corporate Board of Directors for Catholic Health Services; Vice Chair of Catholic Charities; Priests Personnel Board, the Presbyteral Council and the Diocesan Advisory Committee for Hispanic Ministry.
As a member of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, Bishop Perez serves as the Chair of the Bishop’s Sub-Committee for Hispanic Affairs and is a former member of the Bishop’s Sub-Committee for the Campaign for Human Development.
Bishop-designate Perez will be installed as the 11th bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland at a Solemn Mass on Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland. Evening Prayer will be celebrated on September 4.
“I am so very happy to be here with you, to learn from you, grow with you, and serve you with pastoral devotion,” said Bishop-designate Perez. “Please don’t hesitate to say hello, if you see me as I venture out, eager to experience my new home. God bless you, all!”
Until Bishop-designate Perez’s installation as Bishop of Cleveland, Bishop Daniel E. Thomas will continue leading the diocese as its Apostolic Administrator. Bishop Thomas is the bishop of the Diocese of Toledo, Ohio. He assumed leadership duties for the Diocese of Cleveland upon the retirement of Bishop Richard Lennon, who was granted early retirement on December 28, 2016 due to health concerns.
“In Bishop Nelson Perez, the Diocese of Cleveland is receiving a faithful, enthusiastic and joyful shepherd for Christ and His Church,” remarked Bishop Thomas. “With his warm personality, Bishop Perez will endear himself to all who meet him. Bishop Perez will find in Cleveland a true spiritual home filled with dedicated and devoted people, a family of faith that I am grateful to have had the privilege to serve. I personally look forward to working with Bishop Perez in announcing the Gospel in Northern Ohio.”
The Diocese of Cleveland comprises 3,414 square miles that include eight counties in northeast Ohio. It has a total population of 2,774,113 people of which 677,219 or 24 percent are Catholic.