WHEELING, W.Va. (OSV News) — “I come before you as your brother and shepherd,” Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala said to West Virginia Catholics at his installation as the 10th bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston July 2.
Inviting them to join him in building the Church in the Mountain State, he said, “Let us continue being a Church that resembles the heart of Jesus.”
The faithful filled the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Wheeling for the Mass that afternoon as well as overflow areas at Central Catholic High School and the chancery next door where they watched a livestream of the Mass.
The Mass also aired live on EWTN with more than 100 priests concelebrating and 35 bishops and bishops-designate who were major concelebrants with Cardinal Robert W. McElroy of Washington; Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, retired archbishop of Washington; Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chávez, retired auxiliary bishop of San Salvador; and retired Bishop Mark E. Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston.
Archbishops Caccia and Lori principal concelebrants
Joining Bishop Menjivar as principal celebrants were Archbishop Gabriele G. Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the U.S, and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore.
The celebration began outside of the cathedral as Bishop Menjivar, with clergy and faithful looking on, knocked on the doors of the church, which were opened by Bishop Brennan. Upon entering, Bishop Menjivar kissed a crucifix placed on a red velvet pillow and blessed the walls of the church, the clergy and the people inside and outside of the church with holy water.
Following the procession into the church, Archbishop Lori said that all gathered give God thanks and praise for his abundant blessings to this local Church.
“Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the faithful, zealous and life-giving ministry of Bishop Brennan these past seven years,” the archbishop said.
And Bishop Menjivar, the archbishop continued, comes as a shepherd with a big heart.
‘Grateful to God’ for installation of new bishop
“Bishop Evelio, how happy we are and how grateful we are to God on this day of your installation,” the archbishop said.
Bishop Brennan then welcomed all and introduced Archbishop Caccia who came forward to read Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic letter of appointment, or papal bull, naming Bishop Menjivar as bishop of Wheeling-Charleston.
“It is a great joy for me to be with you today and I’m pleased, first of all, to convey to all of you the spiritual closeness, affection and blessing of Pope Leo XIV,” he said. “As the Holy Father’s representative to the United States, I’m honored to be with you as this local Church receives a new shepherd.”
He expressed his gratitude to Bishop Brennan for his years of service to the diocese and congratulated Bishop Menjivar on his appointment as bishop.
After Archbishop Caccia read the pope’s decree, he presented it to Bishop Menjivar, who showed it to the diocesan consultors and the congregation.
Crozier belonged to diocese’s 3rd bishop
Once he was seated in the cathedra, or bishop’s chair, he was presented with the shepherd’s staff. The crozier he received belonged to Bishop Patrick J. Donahue, the third bishop of Wheeling, 1894-1922, who was a champion of foreign-born laborers and their fair treatment.
Bishop Menjivar then greeted representatives of Catholic organizations and laity as well as ecumenical leaders.
Bishop Menjivar began his homily by thanking God for the gift of his family, many of whom were present at the Mass, for his faith, vocation and migration journey “that allows me to stand before you today. In every step of this journey, the risen Lord has walked with me.”
Throughout his homily, Bishop Menjivar spoke in both English and Spanish.
Noting the words of John Denver’s song “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” Bishop Menjivar said, “Today, West Virginia truly feels like ‘almost heaven’ as the Church gathers in communion with Christ and with one another.”
The words of the song, he said, express something that is deeply present in every human heart — the longing for a home, the longing to belong.
‘Desire to belong woven into American experience’
“In many ways, the desire to be at home and to belong is woven into the American experience,” the bishop said. “It inspired generations of people who left their homelands in search of a place they could call home and settled in these mountains and hollers building communities and beautiful and vibrant towns in Appalachia, creating a rich and unique culture marked by deep faith, hard work, and unwavering perseverance and neighborly care and support.
“Catholics made tremendous contributions in all areas to the betterment and growth of West Virginia,” he continued. “They were not exempt from hardships, discrimination, and prejudice. Yet, throughout those struggles the Church and her shepherds stood beside them, walking with them, defending their God-given dignity and advocating for their rights.”
Bishop Menjivar said he was especially proud and honored to carry Bishop Donahue’s crozier that day.
“Bishop Donahue was, himself, an immigrant from England and became a tireless champion of working men and women, immigrants and the poor,” he said. “His witness has been also the witness of Bishop Mark Brennan, whom I am honored and humbled to follow.”
Working tirelessly for justice rooted in Gospel
Faithful bishops, priests and religious sisters, he said, remind Catholics that the church is at her best when she stands with those in the margins, defending the dignity of every human person and working tirelessly for justice rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
“As our nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of its independence, may we renew our commitment to these values, present in the DNA of the American people and embodied in the self-evident truth upon which this nation was founded — that every human person is endowed by the creator with an indisputable dignity and with the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Bishop Menjivar said.
He said his prayer “is that as we walk together in ministry not merely along country roads but along the way of the Gospel” and make the diocese and state a place where everyone feels at home, feels they belong “and are loved.”
Mission of faithful is to accompany all
This mission, he said, calls the faithful to listen to young people, honor and accompany the elderly, support families facing economic hardship and those caring for loved ones struggling with addiction, mental health challenges and other burdens; to stand in solidarity with workers, immigrants and all who feel unseen, unheard or forgotten; to listen to those who have suffered abuse; and to support parents as they strive to pass on the faith to their children.
“More than 35 years ago, the Lord brought me from a distant land — El Salvador, the land of St. St. Óscar Romero — to this country,” said Bishop Menjivar, a former auxiliary of the Washington Archdiocese. “I could never have imagined, then, the path he was preparing for me. Yet, now, like Peter in today’s Gospel (John 21:15-19) the Lord in his mercy and providence entrusts me with a people I did not know, but whom he is asking me to love as my own. In ministry and in the Church, everything begins with love.”
The communion shared with one another must be born of this love and rooted in communion with the Lord, he said.
‘Sincere desire’ to love and serve
“I come before you as your brother and shepherd, not with all the answers, but with a sincere desire to love you and to serve you the best I can,” Bishop Menjivar said, adding that he feels “small before the mission entrusted” to him.
He said he takes consolation in prayers being offered for him at every Mass throughout the diocese and knows that his new mission “cannot be accomplished alone.”
“We must walk together. The laity, deacons, consecrated women and men, priests, parish staffs, chancery staff all play an essential role in building the Church,” he said. “Because of our baptism, we are all missionary disciples and co-workers in the vineyard. I need you all. I say it sincerely, I need you all.”
Bishop Menjivar ended his homily by saying, “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on us. May the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and St. Joseph, patron of our diocese and protector of the Universal Church intercede for us always. Amen.”
Following the Mass, Bishop Menjivar emerged from the outdoor ambo of the cathedral and gave a blessing to all gathered below who packed the streets around the church.
Delighting in the moment, he took a selfie with his brother bishops, priests, deacons and the people looking on, smiling from the street below.
Colleen Rowan is executive editor of The Catholic Spirit, the news outlet of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. This story was originally published by The Catholic Spirit and is distributed through a partnership with OSV News.
