Joseph A. Pepe

Joseph Anthony Pepe (born June 18, 1942) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the second Bishop of Las Vegas.

Joseph Pepe was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as one of the two children of Francis and Elvira (née Fazio) Pepe. He was baptized at St. Francis de Sales Church. After his graduation from Roman Catholic High School in 1960, he entered St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood and was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Krol on May 16, 1970.

Pepe then served as an assistant pastor at Our Lady of Loreta Parish, teaching at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Springfield as well. In 1976, he obtained his doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum in Rome. He was also named Defender of the Bond for the Metropolitan Tribunal that same year, and Prosynodal Judge in 1977. From 1982 to 1987, Pepe was professor of canon law at his alma mater of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. He was also made Vice-Chancellor (1987) and Chancellor (1990) of the archdiocese; during his tenure in the chancery, he served as Vice-Promoter for the cause of beatification of Katharine Drexel.

Pepe was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in May 1991, and then served briefly as pastor of St. Justin Martyr Parish in Narberth. Upon the special request of Archbishop Michael Sheehan, he was sent to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in 1993 to serve as Judicial Vicar. In April 1998, he became Chancellor, Moderator of the Curia, and Vicar for Priests of the archdiocese.

On April 6, 2001, Pepe was appointed the second Bishop of Las Vegas by Pope John Paul II. He was consecrated on the following May 31 by Archbishop William Levada, with Archbishop Sheehan and Bishop Joseph Galante serving as co-consecrators.Pepe is a member of the board of trustees of The Catholic University of America.On February 28, 2018, Pope Francis accepted his resignation after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.