Bishop Nelson Perez, an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Rockville Centre who has been based at St. Isidore’s parish in Riverhead, has been named Bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland.
The papal decree making the appointment was announced yesterday morning.
Perez has served the Long Island diocese as vicar for the eastern vicariate and vicar for the Hispanic apostolate.
He will be installed as the 11th bishop of the Cleveland diocese in September, according to a statement released by the diocese yesterday.
Perez, 56, was born in Miami, Florida, to parents who fled the government of Fidel Castro in Cuba, according to a report in Newsday. He grew up in New Jersey, where he attended public schools and Montclair State College. He was ordained a priest in 1989. He was named an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Rockville Centre by Pope Benedict XVI in June 2012.
He is currently the only Latino bishop in the Long Island diocese, where there are two other auxiliary bishops serving under Bishop John Barres.
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