Pope Leo XIV Accepts Resignation of West Virginia Bishop, Names Successor

Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Bishop Mark E. Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and appointed Bishop Evelio Menjivar as his successor, the Vatican announced Friday. Menjivar, 55, had been serving as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington since becoming the first Salvadoran-born bishop in the United States in 2023.

Born August 14, 1970, in Chalatenango, El Salvador, during the civil war, Menjivar migrated to the United States in 1990. According to his own account, the journey included multiple attempts, crossing the desert, a brief imprisonment in Mexico, and entering the country hidden in the trunk of a car.

After arrival he learned English, earned a GED, and worked in janitorial and construction jobs before entering seminary formation at a parish in Silver Spring, Maryland.

At a news conference Friday, Menjivar said he accepted the appointment “with great joy and humility.” He spoke of the need for “partnership in mission” and listening to “young people, the poor, workers, and immigrants.” Recalling his own migration he stated, “I was carrying a backpack with only one change of clothes, but it was full of dreams, of illusions that sometimes we do not understand,” and added, “That dream is a light that guides you and, although you don’t understand the plan, you launch yourself with confidence in God.”

The same announcement included the appointment of Father Robert Boxie III as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington. The Vatican statement described both moves as routine personnel decisions within the Church’s diocesan structure.

Menjivar has previously urged Catholics to oppose aggressive immigration policies. Pope Leo XIV has separately stated that foreigners in the United States “were being treated in an ‘extremely disrespectful way’” and said there is “a deep reflection that needs to be made about what is happening” regarding their welcome.

The appointments come weeks after a verbal confrontation between the pope and President Donald Trump; sources differed on characterizations of Menjivar, with one outlet describing him as a “staunch defender of DEI” while others emphasized his immigration advocacy.