Archbishop José H. Gomez has announced pastoral region assignments for the four new LA auxiliary bishops-elect appointed by Pope Francis July 18.
After being ordained bishops Sept. 26, Albert M. Bahhuth will serve as Episcopal Vicar for the San Fernando Region, Matthew G. Elshoff, OFM Cap. for the Our Lady of the Angels Region, Brian Nunes for the San Gabriel Region, and Slawomir S. Szkredka for the Santa Barbara Region.
In an Aug. 8 email announcement to the archdiocese, Archbishop Gomez said he had decided on the assignments “after prayer, reflection and consultation.”
“It is important to remember that all of our Auxiliary Bishops are ordained to serve, not only the region they are assigned to but the entire family of God in Los Angeles,” wrote Archbishop Gomez.
“Auxiliary Bishops are called to be true pastors — men of prayer and virtue, men of mercy and men of mission — in the service of the Archdiocese, and in communion with me as the Archbishop and with Pope Francis as the head of the universal Church.”
In his message, Archbishop Gomez thanked Auxiliary Bishop Alex D. Aclan for his ministry as episcopal vicar for the San Fernando Pastoral Region. Bishop Aclan, who was appointed an auxiliary bishop in 2019, has been recovering from a serious stroke suffered in August 2022. Since then, the region has been overseen on an interim basis by retired LA Auxiliary Bishop Gerald Wilkerson.
“We continue to pray for [Bishop Aclan’s] recovery and look forward to his return to active ministry as an Episcopal Vicar for the Archdiocese,” said the archbishop.
Archbishop Gomez thanked Bishop Wilkerson and the three LA priests who have been serving as episcopal vicars on an interim basis in four of the archdiocese’s five pastoral regions: Msgr. Terrance Fleming in the Our Lady of the Angels Region; Father Leon Hutton in the Santa Barbara Region; and Msgr. Jim Halley in the San Gabriel Region.
“I am grateful that I will continue to be able to count on Msgr. Fleming, Rev. Hutton, and Msgr. Halley, for advice and fraternal support in my ministry,” said Archbishop Gomez.
Since the death of Auxiliary Bishop David O’Connell last February, only one of the archdiocese’s five pastoral regions, San Pedro, was being overseen by an active auxiliary bishop, Marc Trudeau.
