Matthew Elshoff | |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles Titular Bishop ofLamzella | |
| Church | Catholic |
| Archdiocese | Los Angeles |
| Appointed | July 18, 2023 |
| Installed | September 26, 2023 |
| Other post | Titular Bishop ofLamzella |
| Previous posts | President,St. Francis High School Provincial Minister, Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin, Our Lady of the Angels Province |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | June 18, 1982 by Timothy Manning |
| Consecration | September 26, 2023 by José Horacio Gómez,Gerald Eugene Wilkerson, andAlejandro Dumbrigue Aclan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Matthew Gregory Elshoff (1955-09-24)September 24, 1955 (age 70) Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
| Parents | Calvin and Irene (née Molnar) Elshoff |
| Alma mater | St. Francis High School Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology |
| Motto | Caritas Christi urget nos (The love of Christ impels us) |
| Styles of Matthew Elshoff | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Matthew Gregory Elshoff, O.F.M. Cap. (born September 24, 1955) is anAmerican Catholic prelate who served as anauxiliary bishop for theArchdiocese of Los Angeles since 2023.[1] He is a member of theCapuchin Franciscans.
Matthew Elshoff was born on September 24, 1955, inCincinnati, Ohio, as the first of five children of Calvin and Irene (née Molnar) Elshoff.[2] His family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child, and he attended St. Bede the Venerable Church and Elementary School inLa Cañada, Flintridge. The school was operated by theSisters of St. Louis, who encouraged Elshoff to consider becoming a priest. Elshoff then attendedSt. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, California, which was operated by theOrder of Friars Minor Capuchin.[3][4]
Having decided to enter the priesthood, Elshoff joined the Capuchins in 1979. He entered their seminary at theDominicans' St. Albert the Great Priory inOakland, California, professingsolemn vows on September 22, 1979.[1][5][4] He continued his studies at theDominican School of Philosophy and Theology inBerkeley, graduating in 1982 with degrees in theology and divinity.[3]
Elshoff wasordained a priest by CardinalTimothy Manning for the Capuchin Order on June 18, 1982, at St. Bede the Venerable Church in La Canada.[3][6]After his 1982 ordination, the Capuchins assigned Elshoff as vocations director for his Capuchin province. After six year in this position, he spent a sabbatical year inBenito Juarez, Mexico, working as a missionary.[7]
Returning to California, Elshoff then served as a teacher, chaplain, counselor, and president at St. Francis High School. During this time, he also earned a master's degree and license in marriage and family therapy in 1986 and 1990.[5] He also served as theprovincial minister for his province of Capuchins as well asnovice master.[7]
Elshoff received his first pastoral assignment in 2015 when the Capuchins sent him to serve as pastor at Old Mission Santa Inés Parish inSolvang, California.[4] He was transferred in 2018 to become pastor at St. Lawrence of Brindisi Parish in theWatts neighborhood of Los Angeles. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when churches were closed, he walked through the neighborhood with a cross and amonstrance carrying the eucharist.[3][4]
On July 18, 2023,Pope Francis appointed Elshoff as anauxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and thetitular bishop of Lamzella.[1][8] ArchbishopJosé Gómez consecrated him as a bishop on September 26, 2023, at theCathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, with Auxiliary BishopsGerald Wilkerson andAlejandro Aclan serving as co-consecrators.[6][3]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by – | Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles 2023–present | Succeeded by – |
