Nelsa Elías

Nelsa I. Elías has been an active member of NALM since 2009 and currently serves as Vice-chair of its Board of Directors. After leaving a career as a legal assistant to answer God's call to ministry, she dedicated more than 26 years to serving the Church at both the parish and diocesan levels in a variety of ministries, including pastoral associate, associate director of the diocesan lay formation program, as well as Director of Children's Faith Formation and Catechesis for the Diocese of Brooklyn, from which she retired in 2025. Nelsa continues to serve on the faculty of the Diocese of Brooklyn's Office of Sacred Liturgy, leads retreats and workshops for catechists, and remains active in her parish where she gives days of reflection for liturgical ministers and Spanish-language reflection series for the seniors group.

Living and ministering in the Diocese of Brooklyn—often called the "Diocese of Immigrants"—has deepened Nelsa’s commitment to fostering welcoming, inclusive communities of faith. She is dedicated to helping people recognize and share their God-given gifts in service to the Church in response to their baptism call.

Nelsa holds a B.A. in History and an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry from St. John's University in Queens, New York. She received NALM's Juan Diego Award in 2021 in recognition of her dedicated service to lay ministry and leadership.