May 1, 2026 —
This page will be updated as we approach the Mass of Installation on July 2.
The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed Most Reverend Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as the tenth Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, succeeding Most Reverend Mark E. Brennan. The Mass of Installation will be celebrated on Thursday, July 2, 2026, at 2:00 PM at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling. Bishop Brennan will continue to serve as apostolic administrator of the diocese through July 1.
Bishop-designate Menjivar-Ayala, 55, has served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington since 2023, when he became the first Salvadoran-born bishop in the United States. Born in Chalatenango, El Salvador, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1990 and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Washington in 2004. He speaks English, Spanish, and Italian.
The St. Agnes parish family extends prayerful gratitude to Bishop Brennan for his faithful shepherding of West Virginia since 2019, and we joyfully welcome Bishop-designate Menjivar-Ayala.
Please join us in praying for both bishops during this time of transition.
Read the full Diocesan statement and watch the live stream announcement:
https://dwc.org/most-reverend-evelio-menjivar-ayala-named-tenth-bishop-of-wheeling-charleston/
