Matthew Elshoff

Matthew Elshoff was born on September 24, 1955, in Cincinnati, Ohio, as the first of five children of Calvin and Irene (née Molnar) Elshoff.{{Cite web |title=Obituary information for Eldred Calvin Elshoff |url=https://www.cabotandsons.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=9115489 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718152310/https://www.cabotandsons.com/obituaries/Eldred-Calvin-Elshoff?obId=9115489 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=www.cabotandsons.com |language=en-US}} His family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child, and he attended St. Bede the Venerable Church and Elementary School in La Cañada, Flintridge. The school was operated by the Sisters of St. Louis, who encouraged Elshoff to consider becoming a priest. Elshoff then attended St. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, California, which was operated by the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-02 |title=New LA bishop: Matthew Elshoff, educator with a missionary heart |url=https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/bishop-elect-matthew-elshoff/ |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=Angelus |language=en-US}}

Having decided to enter the priesthood, Elshoff joined the Capuchins in 1979. He entered their seminary at the Dominicans' St. Albert the Great Priory in Oakland, California, professing solemn vows on September 22, 1979.{{Cite web |title=Pope Francis Names New Auxiliary Bishops of Los Angeles {{!}} USCCB |url=https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-francis-names-new-auxiliary-bishops-los-angeles |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718143610/https://www.usccb.org/news/2023/pope-francis-names-new-auxiliary-bishops-los-angeles |archive-date=18 July 2023 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=www.usccb.org |language=en}} He continued his studies at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, graduating in 1982 with degrees in theology and divinity.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-18 |title=Meet the quadruplets: Pope Francis names four new auxiliary bishops for LA |url=https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/four-new-auxiliary-bishops-la/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718145135/https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/four-new-auxiliary-bishops-la/ |archive-date=18 July 2023 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Angelus |language=en-US}}

Elshoff was ordained a priest by Cardinal Timothy Manning for the Capuchin Order on June 18, 1982, at St. Bede the Venerable Church in La Canada.{{Cite web |title=Bishop Matthew Gregory Elshoff [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/belshoff.html |access-date=2024-02-14 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}

After his 1982 ordination, the Capuchins assigned Elshoff as vocations director for his Capuchine province. After six year in this position, he spent a sabbatical year in Benito Juarez, Mexico, working as a missionary.

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. He also served as the provincial minister for his province of Capuchins as well as novice master.{{Cite web |last=West |first=Capuchins |date=2015-01-29 |title=Fr. Matt Elshoff Called to Mexico |url=https://capuchinswest.org/post-news/fr-matt-elshoff-called-to-mexico/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718154753/https://capuchinswest.org/post-news/fr-matt-elshoff-called-to-mexico/ |archive-date=18 July 2023 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=Capuchin Franciscans |language=en-US}}

Elshoff received his first pastoral assignment in 2015 when the Capuchins sent him to serve as pastor at Old Mission Santa Inés Parish in Solvang, California. He was transferred in 2018 to become pastor at St. Lawrence of Brindisi Parish in the Watts 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 a monstrance carrying the eucharist.

On July 18, 2023, Pope Francis appointed Elshoff as an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles and the titular bishop of Lamzella.{{cite news |title=Pope picks four LA County priests to become auxiliary bishops |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2023/07/18/pope-picks-four-la-county-priests-to-become-auxiliary-bishops/ |accessdate=July 18, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Daily News}} Archbishop José Gómez consecrated him as a bishop on September 26, 2023, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, with Auxiliary Bishops Gerald Wilkerson and Alejandro Aclan serving as co-consecrators.

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• [https://lacatholics.org/ Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles Official Site]

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Category:1955 births

Category:Living people

Category:American Roman Catholic priests

Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Francis