Fr. Matt Elshoff, former Provincial Minister, will soon be departing to spend a year in Mexico working in the Capuchin Franciscan Western America Province’s parish in Benito Juarez, a suburb of Monterrey, Nueva Leon. The parish has 42,000 people – this includes 8 mission stations. Travel between these stations can be challenging and travel by donkey is occasionally required. It is important to note that this is not a rural area but an area with 1000s of infonavits – small homes, 500-1,000 sq ft. that would be similar to our housing projects, as in Watts for example. Indeed, that is what they are; they stretch for miles! Fr. Matt will also be celebrating Mass for two communities of cloistered nuns, the Carmelites and Poor Clares. He will live at Casa Padre Pio as part of the community of 18 student friars who studying philosophy and theology, also located in Benito Juarez.
His year at the mission will give him a chance to improve his Spanish and learn from the poor to whom he will minister – many of whom are immigrants from different parts of Mexico looking for work in Monterrey. Following his year there, he will be reassigned.
If you would like to contact Fr. Matt, please use the following email address: [email protected]
