Trending Now - Former Immigrant Critic of Trump Appointed Bishop in West Virginia

WHO:

Fox News - Pope Leo XIV named Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala to lead West Virginia's Catholic diocese.

ABC News - Evelio Menjivar-Ayala is an El Salvador-born advocate for immigrants and has been critical of President Trump’s immigration policies.

ABC News - Menjivar-Ayala is 55 years old and was an auxiliary bishop in Washington, D.C.

ABC News - The Most Rev. Mark Brennan, 79, served as West Virginia’s bishop since 2019.

WHAT:

Fox News - Menjivar-Ayala was appointed to lead the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.

ABC News - Menjivar-Ayala fled El Salvador's civil war as a teen in the late 1980s and crossed illegally into the U.S. in 1990.

ABC News - He gained humanitarian protection within “a couple of weeks” and later became a U.S. citizen two decades ago.

ABC News - Menjivar-Ayala will oversee 61,000 Catholics and 92 parishes throughout West Virginia.

ABC News - He will be installed as bishop at a ceremony on July 2.

WHERE:

Fox News - The appointment is for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia.

ABC News - West Virginia is one of the nation’s least racially diverse states, with 92.6% of its 1.77 million residents identifying as white.

WHEN:

ABC News - Menjivar-Ayala will be installed as bishop on July 2.

ABC News - The Rev. John Gomez will start his tenure in the Diocese of Laredo, Texas, on June 30.

WHY:

ABC News - Menjivar-Ayala has been critical of Trump’s immigration policies, stating that the treatment of immigrants has worsened under his administration.

ABC News - The Catholic Church advocates for humane treatment of migrants and refugees.

HOW:

ABC News - Menjivar-Ayala expressed his desire to be accepted by West Virginians and his willingness to listen to the community, stating, “I have much to learn, but my heart is ready and wide-open.”

(UPDATED May 1, 2026 23:20 UTC)

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Evelio Menjivar-Ayala to lead the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia, where he will oversee 61,000 Catholics and 92 parishes. Menjivar-Ayala, an El Salvador-born advocate for immigrants who has been critical of Trump’s immigration policies, is set to be installed as bishop on July 2. Having fled El Salvador's civil war as a teenager and gained U.S. citizenship two decades ago, he expressed his eagerness to connect with the community, saying, “I have much to learn, but my heart is ready and wide-open.”