First African bishop ordained to lead U.S. diocese in Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 9, 2025 / 14:14 pm (CNA).

Bishop Simon Peter Engurait was ordained last week, making him the first African bishop in the mainland United States. On Sept. 5, Engurait was installed as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana during a ceremony at Nicholls State University. 

Engurait was appointed in June by Pope Leo XIV after working as administrator of the diocese since January 2024. He had also previously served as the vicar general and as the pastor of St. Bridget Parish since 2017. 

“I am humbled beyond words that the Holy Father has chosen me, not from outside, but from among the ranks of the priests of this beloved diocese,” Enguarit said after being appointed.

The diocese reported that more than 2,000 laypeople, clergy, and religious from around the world attended Engurait’s episcopal ordination. He was ordained by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans along with co-consecrators Archbishop Shelton Fabre, former bishop of Houma-Thibodaux and current archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky, and Houma-Thibodaux Bishop Emeritus Sam Jacobs.

“As a new bishop, I promise you that my first labor will be to stay close to Jesus so that everything I do flows from his love,” Engurait said at the ceremony. “A bishop is not meant to be a distant administrator but rather a pastor who walks among his people. I want my ministry to be a ministry of presence.”

Another 40 bishops were present for the ceremony to lay hands on Engurait as a part of the ordination rite. Concelebrants included Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., and Cardinal Wilton Cardinal Gregory, archbishop emeritus of Washington, D.C. 

Engurait is believed to be the first African bishop to lead an American diocese. He was born in Ngora, Uganda, in 1971 and is one of 14 children. His father was a teacher who specialized in the education of deaf people, and his mother was a homemaker. 

The new bishop studied at multiple Catholic seminaries and universities in Uganda focusing on philosophy, political science, and public administration. He worked in several positions for Uganda’s government for more than 11 years, serving in departments responsible for the reform and divestiture of public enterprises. 

When studying at Katigondo Seminary in Uganda, Engurait had a profound experience with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, a movement that invites all people to experience the Holy Spirit,  which led him back to discerning the priesthood.

In 2007, he was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux and entered Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where he graduated with a master of divinity degree. He was ordained a priest in 2013 and proceeded to hold multiple diocesan leadership positions. 

Since his appointment, Ugandans in the United States have celebrated Engurait’s new role, reported the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner. Engurait represents the growing Ugandan community in the country. According to the Migration Policy Institute, about 41,000 Ugandan natives resided in the U.S. as of 2021 compared with 14,000 in 2015. 

In his closing remarks at his ordination, Engurait told attendees: “I want to be close to your families and parishes, close to you in your joys and in your sorrows, feeling with you the burdens you carry. I want to be a gentle and humble shepherd, never forgetting that the Church is for service to those most in need.”

“I want to live simply so that nothing in my life distracts me from the Gospel. This is my pledge — to love you with [an] unreserved heart,” Engurait said. “Holiness is a journey, not a possession. I do not pretend to be a saint, but I do long and strive for holiness. And I long for us to grow in holiness together.”

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/266461/first-african-bishop-ordained-to-lead-us-diocese-in-houma-thibodaux-louisiana