Pope Leo XIV stirred up strong reactions across the United States with the recent appointment of Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, a former illegal immigrant from El Salvador, to lead the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia.
Menjivar-Ayala, who is 55, has previously served as an auxiliary bishop in Washington, D.C., and takes over from Bishop Mark Brennan, who has held the position since 2019.
The Vatican made the announcement, and Menjivar-Ayala’s installation is planned for July 2.
Originating from El Salvador, he fled his war-torn homeland in the late 1980s due to severe poverty and civil conflict. After several harrowing attempts to enter the U.S., including detentions and deportations, he ultimately crossed the border without authorization in 1990.
He was smuggled into the country from Mexico in a car trunk, later gaining humanitarian protection shortly after arriving. Eventually, he secured a visa as a religious worker and became a U.S. citizen about twenty years ago, building a career that led him to ministry.
Menjivar-Ayala was ordained as a priest and has dedicated most of his service to the Archdiocese of Washington, where Latinos form a significant portion of the parishioners. In 2023, he made history as the first U.S. bishop of Salvadoran descent when appointed auxiliary bishop.
His tenure has focused on pastoral care for local communities.
Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of Bishop Mark Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston; Appoints Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as Successor | Read the full release at: https://t.co/iJcuIFfe3r pic.twitter.com/fdvh4pjJZB
— U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (@USCCB) May 1, 2026
Interestingly, Menjivar-Ayala has openly criticized the Trump Administration’s immigration policies. In a 2025 piece for the Catholic Standard, he labeled certain enforcement actions as infringements on basic human rights, referencing the “dark side of anti-immigrant animus.”
He highlighted the struggles of immigrants, drawing connections to Christ’s Passion. His remarks on the administration’s aggressive deportation strategies indicated personal empathy, stating, “that could have been me.”
Now, as the leader of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, he will oversee a Catholic community of approximately 61,000 to 90,000 across over 90 parishes. This appointment has been met with skepticism, given the perceived political implications, particularly because the diocese has one of the lowest populations of Spanish speakers in the nation.
Furthermore, West Virginia is known as one of the most pro-Trump states in America.
