Pope Leo XIV Names Former Illegal Immigrant as New Bishop of West Virginia
Why It Matters
West Virginia’s Catholic Diocese is set to receive a new leader whose personal story — and public political statements — have placed him at the center of the national debate over illegal immigration. The appointment carries significance both for the state’s Catholic community and for ongoing tensions between the Vatican and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement.
What Happened
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 55, as the new bishop of West Virginia’s Wheeling-Charleston diocese. The pope simultaneously approved the resignation of the previous bishop, Mark E. Brennan, according to OSV News.
Menjivar-Ayala, currently serving as an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington, entered the United States as an illegal immigrant in 1990 — hidden in the trunk of a car — after two previous failed attempts. He was born on August 14, 1970, in Chalatenango, El Salvador.
At a Friday-morning news conference, Menjivar-Ayala said he accepted the appointment “with great joy and humility.” He addressed Catholics in attendance, telling younger members of the church, “You are not only the future of the church, you are the present of the church.” He also said he wished to be a voice for the poor, workers, and immigrants.
A Journey from Civil War to the Episcopate
Menjivar-Ayala’s path to the United States was shaped by the violence of the Salvadoran civil war. According to the Catholic Standard, he and his family narrowly survived being fired upon by soldiers while fleeing their home.
His first two attempts to reach the U.S. were blocked — once by deportation and once when a guide abandoned the migrant group. On his third attempt, he endured a brief imprisonment in Mexico and a difficult desert crossing before successfully entering the country.
He previously described his journey as carrying “a backpack with only one change of clothes, but it was full of dreams, of illusions that sometimes we do not understand.” After arriving in the U.S., he learned English, earned a GED, and worked janitorial and construction jobs before answering a religious calling at a parish in Silver Spring, Maryland. In 2023, he became the first Salvadoran-born bishop in the United States.
By the Numbers
55 — Menjivar-Ayala’s current age at the time of his appointment.
1990 — The year he successfully entered the United States as an illegal immigrant after two prior failed attempts.
2023 — The year he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Washington, making him the first Salvadoran bishop in the country.
3 — The number of attempts required before he successfully entered the United States.
Zoom Out: Vatican-Trump Tensions Over Immigration
The appointment arrives amid a widening rift between the Vatican and the Trump administration on immigration policy. Pope Leo XIV has been openly critical of the administration’s approach to migrants. When asked about U.S. immigration enforcement, Pope Leo told reporters he believed foreigners in the country were being treated in an “extremely disrespectful way” and called for “deep reflection” on how migrants are received.
President Trump, for his part, posted on Truth Social last month that Pope Leo was “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.” The friction between Washington and the Vatican reflects a broader national debate over border security, deportation enforcement, and the government’s handling of illegal immigration — a core policy priority of the Trump administration. A recent industrial emergency in West Virginia has also kept the state in the national spotlight in recent weeks.
Menjivar-Ayala himself has spoken publicly urging Catholics to oppose what he described as aggressive immigration policies directed at immigrants, according to the Washington Post. His elevation to the West Virginia diocese by a pope who has himself criticized those same policies is being interpreted as a deliberate statement by the Holy See.
What’s Next
Menjivar-Ayala is expected to formally assume his duties as bishop of the Wheeling-Charleston diocese following the standard transition process. His tenure will be closely watched both by West Virginia’s Catholic community and by observers tracking the ongoing friction between the Vatican and U.S. federal immigration policy. Virginia’s political landscape continues to shift amid redistricting and demographic changes that may affect how Catholic constituents engage with issues like immigration in future elections.