New Bishop Has Existing Connections To W.Va. 

Evelio Menjivar-Ayala will serve as the tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston — which encompasses all of West Virginia — starting in July. The appointment of Menjivar-Ayala by Pope Leo XIV on May 1 comes after the resignation of current Bishop Mark Brennan, who has served the diocese since 2019. 

“It’s important to note, and because we’ve received a few questions about this, bishops in the United States are required to submit their resignation to the Holy See when they reach the age of 75. So this is something that Bishop Brennan actually did four years ago,” Tim Bishop, director of communications for the diocese said.  

Born in El Salvador, Menjivar-Alaya’s tenure in the Archdiocese of Washington has previously brought him into West Virginia to perform Spanish masses in the Eastern Panhandle.  

“He also owns a cabin in Hardy County. Just after COVID, he was looking for a little self-retreat area,” Bishop said. “The way he says it is great, you know, ‘in the holler.’ I think, in Lost River, he bought a little cabin in Hardy County, and he visits there. He likes to camp, and he likes to hike. He takes advantage of the Washington-Jefferson National Forest there. So he’s familiar with our state.”  

Bishop said Menjivar-Ayala knows a lot of the issues that face West Virginia not just from spending time in the state, but from his prior works. 

“While we like to think that the issues that we face in our state are solely ours, they’re not,” he said. “Many people throughout the country face the same issues that West Virginians do, and he’s aware of those, and he’s worked on those issues before.” 

While Menjivar-Alaya’s primary focus is on the Catholic community, he has made a commitment to work for all West Virginians. 

“One of the things that he talked about in his press conference was working for the marginalized,” Bishop said. “Well, it’s not just going to be the marginalized who are also Catholic. He’s going to work for the marginalized who are in West Virginia, whether they’re Catholic or not.”  

 In the days following Menjivar-Alaya’s appointment, much has been made of his public comments condemning the Trump administration’s immigration policies, as well as his personal immigration status.  

Menjivar-Ayala became a U.S. citizen two decades ago. He told the Associated Press last year that he gained humanitarian protection in the United States after he crossed the border illegally while fleeing El Salvador’s civil war in the late 1980s.  

Bishop said the statements that Menjivar-Ayala has made on immigration are “in full agreement with Catholic social teaching.” 

“The Catholic Church focuses on the lamb, not the elephant or the donkey,” Bishop said. 

Bishop believes the change in leadership is an opportunity for state leaders to focus on “places where we agree to make life better for West Virginians.” He points to the public statement of Congressman Riley Moore — a Catholic and staunch supporter of President Trump — on Friday after the announcement. 

“I offer my congratulations and welcome to Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala on his appointment as Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston,” Moore wrote in an official statement. “West Virginia is a beautiful place full of some of the hardest working and most God-fearing people on earth. I look forward to working with our new Bishop in our shared responsibility to care for the people of West Virginia, protecting the unborn, defending the rights of workers, and, most importantly, proclaiming the Gospel. May God pour out His abundant blessing on you as you begin this new ministry.” 

Menjivar-Ayala is 55 years old — relatively young by the standards of an aging Catholic clergy. Bishop said he is excited for him to re-energize the diocese.