Archbishop Gomez was born in 1951 in Monterrey, Mexico. Prior to his appointment as Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles, he had served as Archbishop of San Antonio and as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Denver. As a priest, Archbishop Gomez ministered primarily to lay people in Mexico and Texas. Before entering the seminary, he received a degree in Accounting. He has distinguished himself as a respected national leader in the United States over the years. In addition, he has been involved with several initiatives and organizations, many of which serve the Hispanic community, and is an enthusiastic supporter of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. He currently serves as Episcopal Moderator or member of the Board of Directors of several Catholic organizations in the United States, and at different committees of the Holy See and of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 2005, he appeared in Time Magazine’s 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States.