Joseph A. Espaillat

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type =

| honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend

| name = Joseph A. Espaillat

| honorific-suffix =

| title = Auxiliary Bishop of New York
Titular Bishop of Tagarbala

| image = Joseph A. Espaillat.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| caption = Bishop Espillat at Cardinal Hayes High School after preaching at an Adoration service for the National Eucharistic Revival (2024)

| archdiocese = New York

| diocese =

| appointed = January 25, 2022

| enthroned = March 1, 2022

| retired =

| predecessor =

| successor =

| other_post = Titular Bishop of Tagarbala, Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Church

| ordination = May 17, 2003

| ordained_by = Edward Egan

| consecration = March 1, 2022

| consecrated_by = Timothy M. Dolan, John Joseph O'Hara, Gerald Thomas Walsh

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|12|27}}

| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| buried =

| nationality =

| alma_mater =

| previous_post =

| coat_of_arms =

| motto = He knows what He is about

}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= Joseph Armando Espaillat

| dipstyle=

| offstyle=Your Excellency

| relstyle=Bishop

| image = Coat of arms of Joseph Armando Espaillat.svg

| image_size = 200px

}}

Joseph Armando Espaillat II (born December 27, 1976) is a Dominican-American prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of New York since 2022.

Biography

= Early life =

Joseph Espaillat was born on December 27, 1976, in New York City, the son of José and Mercedes Baez.{{cite press release |title = Resignations and Appointments, 25.01.2022 |url= https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2022/01/25/220125a.html |access-date=January 25, 2022 |publisher= Holy See Press Office |date=January 25, 2022}} His parents had immigrated to Manhattan from the Dominican Republic; the USCCB's African-American secretariat has described him as being of partial African descent.{{cite web | access-date = January 26, 2022 | url = https://convocation.camdendiocese.org/speaker/father-joseph-a-espaillat/ | website = Diocese of Camden | title = Father Joseph A. Espaillat, Pastor }}{{Cite web |title=African American Bishops |url=https://www.usccb.org/committees/african-american-affairs/african-american-bishops |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707224725/https://www.usccb.org/committees/african-american-affairs/african-american-bishops |archive-date=2022-07-07 |access-date=2022-07-01 |website=United States Conference of Catholic Bishops}} Espaillat attended high school at Cathedral Preparatory School in Manhattan. He later entered Fordham University in New York City, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy in 1998.{{cite news | access-date = January 26, 2022 | work = National Catholic Reporter | url = https://www.ncronline.org/news/parish/pope-names-two-new-york-pastors-auxiliary-bishops-ny-archdiocese | title = Pope names two New York pastors as auxiliary bishops of N.Y. Archdiocese | agency = Catholic News Service | date= January 25, 2022}}{{Cite web |title=Bishop Joseph Espaillat |url=https://archny.org/about/our-bishops/bishop-elect-joseph-espaillat/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Archdiocese of New York |language=en-US}}

= Priesthood =

On May 17, 2003, Espaillat was ordained to the priesthood at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan by Cardinal Edward Egan for the Archdiocese of New York.{{Cite web |title=Bishop Joseph Armando Espaillat [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bespailla.html |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}

After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Espaillat as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Martyrs Parish in Washington Heights in Manhattan.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-01 |title=Joseph Espaillat is New York's first Dominican bishop. What does this mean for our church? |url=https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/joseph-espaillat-new-yorks-first-dominican-bishop-what-does-mean-our-church |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=National Catholic Reporter |language=en}} That same year, he was awarded a Master of Divinity degree in theology and a Master of Arts degree in theology, with an emphasis on church history, from St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York.{{Cite web |title=Pope Francis Names Two New Auxiliary Bishops of New York |url=https://www.usccb.org/news/2022/pope-francis-names-two-new-auxiliary-bishops-new-york |access-date=2024-03-03 |website=US Conference of Catholic Conference |language=en}}

In 2007, Espaillat was moved from Our Lady to become parochial vicar, then administrator of St. Peter's Parish in Yonkers; he was named pastor there in 2009. In 2012, Cardinal Timothy Dolan appointed Espaillat as director of youth ministry for the archdiocese. In, 2015, Espaillat was named pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Parish in Bronx, New York.

= Auxiliary Bishop of New York =

Pope Francis appointed Espaillat as an auxiliary bishop of New York on January 25, 2022. Espaillat was consecrated as a bishop at St. Patrick's Cathedral by Cardinal Timothy Dolan on March 1, 2022, with bishops John O'Hara and Gerald Walsh acting as co-consecrators. At age 45, Espaillat became the youngest Catholic bishop in the United States and one of the youngest in the world.{{cite news|access-date= January 26, 2022|url = https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/rapping-nyc-priest-named-youngest-u-s-bishop/3514118/|publisher=NBC New York|date=January 25, 2022| title = Rapping NYC Priest Named Youngest U.S. Bishop}}