From beauty mogul to priesthood, e.l.f. Cosmetics co-founder to be ordained in Visalia
Scott-Vincent Borba, the co-founder of Oakland-based e.l.f. Cosmetics, is making the transition from beauty mogul to priesthood this month.
The former esthetician, model, singer and actor, who resigned from his business ventures in 2021, became a seminarian at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, where he studied and graduated.
The 52-year-old deacon will be ordained as a Catholic priest on May 23 at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Visalia by the Diocese of Fresno. His ordination will take place in his hometown a month before his 53rd birthday on June 23.
“God calls all sorts of people to serve,” diocese spokesperson Chandler Marquez said to The Bee. “Scott is a very high-profile person. We cannot deny that fact, but we have people from all walks of life that decide to become priests in all stages of life.”
Born and raised in Visalia, the youngest of five siblings, Borba completed high school and junior college in his hometown before earning his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Santa Clara University. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he started his company.
Borba recently told ABC30 News that he was “a poster boy for luxury living.” Now he lives a life opposite to that, with the bare minimum. He gave away his fortune to charity.
Marquez said when Borba decided he wanted to become a priest, he came back to the Diocese of Fresno to start the process. He was in his 40s.
“Scott has a very unique background and conversion story,” said Marquez. “Therefore, you know, there’s a lot of media attention on him right now.”
On average, it takes about seven years to become a priest, and the average age for new priests is 30, according to the Diocese of Fresno.
According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 3% of the current class of 2026 seminarians are 51 or older.
Marquez said Borba won’t be the oldest priest ordained in the Fresno Dioceses. Two summers ago, a priest was ordained in his 70s, he said.
Borba was ordained as a transitional deacon last summer in Visalia by Bishop Joseph V. Brennan.
Borba will be ordained with Deacons Marco Ayala and Jose Francisco Orozco later this month in Visalia. The priesthood ordination Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo Church.
Marquez said their assignments will be announced on the day of their ordination after Mass.
