Vatican Nominates Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala
- Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Most Reverend Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as the new bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia.
- The announcement was made public in Washington, D.C., by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.
- The appointment of Menjivar-Ayala is notable for his personal history as a migrant.
Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Most Reverend Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as the new bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia. The Vatican announced the appointment on May 1, 2026, following the acceptance of the resignation of Most Reverend Mark E. Brennan.
The announcement was made public in Washington, D.C., by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States. Menjivar-Ayala, 56, previously served as an auxiliary bishop of Washington.
Background and Migration History
The appointment of Menjivar-Ayala is notable for his personal history as a migrant. Born on August 14, 1970, in Chalatenango, El Salvador, he migrated to the United States in 1990.
His ascent within the church hierarchy reached a significant milestone in 2023, when he became the first Salvadoran bishop in the United States.
Academic and Clerical Preparation
Menjivar-Ayala’s education includes studies at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.
He furthered his theological training at the North American College in Rome. In 2002, he obtained a master’s degree in theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum, in Rome.
The transition in leadership at the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston follows the retirement of Bishop Mark Brennan, whose resignation was formally accepted by the Holy See on May 1, 2026.