Pope Leo appoints new bishop of West Virginia diocese, accepts Bishop Brennan’s resignation

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of 79-year-old Bishop Mark Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, and appointed Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, currently auxiliary bishop of Washington, the Holy See Press Office announced May 1. 

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which is the state’s only diocese, spans more than 24,000 square miles, according to a press release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Bishop Brennan has served as its spiritual shepherd since 2019. All bishops are required to submit a letter of resignation to the pope at age 75, though they may remain in active ministry longer if the pontiff permits it. 

Bishop Menjivar has served as an auxiliary bishop of Washington since February 2023, when he became the first U.S. bishop from El Salvador, according to his biography on the Washington archdiocese website. He was born in Chalatenango, El Salvador, in 1970 and migrated to the U.S. in 1990. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian and has a master’s degree in theology from the Rome-based Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum.

He has served at a number of parishes in the archdiocese and was named vicar general in 2023 by Cardinal Wilton Gregory. He is currently a member of the board of directors of the Maryland Catholic Conference, Catholic Charities, and Catholic Relief Services, according to his biography.

According to WV Metro News, after the appointment was announced, Bishop Menjivar said he wants to start his new ministry by getting to know the faithful through listening and frequently traveling to visit with parishioners across the state. 

“I believe that together we can make a difference here in Almost Heaven, West Virginia,” he said. “I have much to learn, but my heart is ready and wide open.”

He also shared about his previous experience in West Virginia, saying it “is not a strange land” to him. 

“I helped many times when I was newly ordained,” he said. “I helped at St. Joseph’s in Martinsburg with the Spanish Mass, so I know that community a little bit even though that was 20 years ago.”

He also went hiking and camping at the state’s national forests during the COVID-19 pandemic and owns a cabin in northeastern West Virginia where he takes weekend retreats, according to WVMetro News.

West Virginia Republican Rep. Riley Moore, a Catholic, congratulated and welcomed the bishop in a statement. 

“West Virginia is a beautiful place full of some of the hardest working and most God-fearing people on earth,” Moore said. “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.”

The archdiocese of Washington is also welcoming two new auxiliary bishops, Fathers Gary Studniewski and Robert Boxie III, the USCCB and Holy See Press Office announced May 1. Pope Leo has accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Roy Campbell.

The Diocese of Laredo, Texas, also received news May 1 about changes in spiritual leadership, as Pope Leo has accepted the resignation of Bishop James Tamayo, 76, and appointed Father John Jairo Gomez as his successor.