Pope Francis Appoints 2 New Auxiliary Bishops for the Archdiocese of Washington DC - Msgr. Juan R. Esposito-Garcia and Rev. Evelio Menjivar-Ayala
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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 Louis, Argentina. He attended St. Michael Seminary in Argentina (1998-2000) and Catholic University in Cuyo, Argentina (2003).
(Press Conference Starts at the 4:18 Mark on Video:)
He earned a Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Moral Theology (2008) from Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland. 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 2021, Monsignor Esposito was named Prelate of 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); parochial vicar at the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda, Maryland (2013); and administrator at Ascension Catholic Church in Bowie, Maryland (2013-2014). He was also adjunct professor of canon law and adjunct spiritual director at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland (2014-2017). From 2012-2018, he served in the Metropolitan Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Washington as a judge (2012-2018) and then as adjunct judicial vicar and judicial vicar (2014-2017). Bishop-elect Esposito has also served as a member of the Seminary Admission Committee (2012-2017); as an instructor for the Archdiocesan Marriage Preparation Program (2010-2015); and as a member of the 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) and the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy (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 (2008); parochial vicar at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. (2013-2014); and administrator at Our Lady Queen of the Americas parish in Washington, D.C. (2014-2017). Since 2017, he has served as pastor of St. Mary’s parish in Landover Hills, Maryland. 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.
Source: USCCB
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