Pope Francis Names New Auxiliary Bishops of Washington
The following press release has been amended to correct biographical information for Bishop-elect Esposito and Bishop-elect Menjivar.
WASHINGTON - Pope Francis has appointed Msgr. Juan R. Esposito-Garcia and Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as auxiliary bishops of Washington. The appointments were publicized in Washington, D.C. on December 19, 2022, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.
Bishop-elect Esposito is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and currently serving as an official in the Dicastery for Bishops in Vatican City. Father Esposito was born January 10, 1974, in San Luis, Argentina. He attended elementary and middle school at the Instituto Santo Tomas de Aquino in San Luis, Argentina (1980-1991). In 2003, he graduated with a law degree from the Universidad Catolica de Cuyo in San Luis, Argentina. He completed his ecclesiastical studies at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, obtaining a Masters in Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Moral Theology (2008). He also earned a Licentiate in Canon Law (2011) and a Doctorate in Canon Law (2016) from The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 14, 2008. In 2020, Monsignor Esposito was named Chaplain to His Holiness, with the title of Monsignor.
Bishop-elect Esposito’s assignments in the Archdiocese of Washington include: parochial vicar at Shrine of St. Jude in Rockville, Maryland (2008-2010); parochial vicar at St. Mark the Evangelist in Hyattsville, Maryland (2010-2012); pro tempore parochial vicar at the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda, Maryland (2014); and pro tempore parochial vicar at Ascension Catholic Church in Bowie, Maryland (2014). He was also adjunct professor of canon law and adjunct spiritual director at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland (2014-2017). From 2011-2017, he served as a judge in the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Washington, deputy judicial vicar and judicial vicar. Bishop-elect Esposito has also served as a member of the Seminary Admission Committee (2012-2017); as a catechist for the archdiocesan Marriage Preparation Program (2010-2015); member of the archdiocesan Theological Council (2012-2015); and as a member of the Canonical Committee for the Archdiocesan Synod (2013-2014). Since 2018, he has served as an official in the Dicastery for Bishops in Vatican City. Bishop-elect Esposito speaks English, Spanish, and Italian.
Bishop-elect Menjivar is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington and currently serving as pastor of St. Mary’s parish in Landover Hills, Maryland. Father Menjivar was born August 14, 1970, in Chalatenango, El Salvador. He came to the United States with his brother as a teenager, because of violence and unrest in his home country, while his family remained in El Salvador. He is now a U.S. citizen. He attended St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, Florida (1995-1999), receiving a Bachelor's degree in philosophy. He attended the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy, and obtained a Master's degree in theology (2002) from the Saint Thomas Aquinas University (Angelicum). He pursued licentiate studies at the Pontifical Scalabrinian Institute for Pastoral Theology for Human Mobility in Rome (2002-2003). He was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 2004.
Bishop-elect Menjivar’s assignments in the Archdiocese of Washington include: parochial vicar at Mother Seton parish in Germantown, Maryland (2004-2008); parochial vicar at St. Bartholomew parish in Bethesda, Maryland (2009); parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. (2009-2013); and pastor at Our Lady Queen of the Americas parish in Washington, D.C. (2013-2017). Since 2017, he has served as pastor of St. Mary’s parish in Landover Hills, Maryland. He also serves as dean of the Middle Prince George's County deanery; member of the archdiocesan Priest Personnel Board; and as a member of the archdiocesan Child Protection Advisory Board. Bishop-elect Menjivar speaks English, Spanish, and Italian.
The Archdiocese of Washington is comprised of 2,104 square miles in the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland and has a total population of 3,091,984, of which 680,236 are Catholic.
