"As a teenager, I never thought - it never crossed my mind, but I just seized the opportunities God put in front of me, the life put in front of me, and the fact that I am where I am now is precisely because - I believe I did the best - but I never let myself go away from the hands of God. That's essential. Walk with God, look for good guidance, good mentors, and open yourself to the opportunities that life offe"
"Pope Francis named Menjivar-Ayala, who became a citizen in 2006, an auxiliary - or assistant - bishop in Washington in 2023, making him the first Salvadoran bishop in the country. He has been outspoken about the plight of migrants ever since, more loudly since the crackdown and mass deportations of the Trump administration."
"Last week, Pope Leo appointed him bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which encompasses the entirety of the state that delivered the highest percentage of the vote for President Donald Trump in 2024."
"Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, who was born in El Salvador and was smuggled into the U.S. as a teen in the trunk of a car, is leaving Washington, D.C., to lead the Catholic Church in West Virginia, a state where Catholics and Latinos are a tiny slice of the population."
Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, born in El Salvador and brought to the United States as a teenager hidden in a car trunk, is leaving Washington, D.C., to lead the Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia. Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop in Washington in 2023, making him the first Salvadoran bishop in the country, and he became a U.S. citizen in 2006. He has spoken publicly about migrants’ struggles, with greater urgency after the Trump administration’s crackdown and mass deportations. Pope Leo appointed him bishop of the diocese covering all of West Virginia, a state that strongly supported Donald Trump in 2024. He plans to continue advocacy in his new role while drawing on faith, mentors, and opportunities.
Read at The Washington Post
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