In a historic and deeply moving liturgical celebration, Rev. Simon Peter Engurait was consecrated as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux on Friday, marking a significant milestone both for the local Church and the global Catholic community.
The consecration Mass was held at Nicholls State University’s Stopher Gymnasium in Thibodaux and was presided over by Archbishop Gregory Michael Aymond of New Orleans. Co-consecrators included Bishop Emeritus Sam Jacobs of Houma-Thibodaux and Bishop Emeritus Michael Jarrell of Lafayette.
Bishop Engurait, 54, succeeds the late Bishop Mario Dorsonville, who passed away in January 2024 after serving only 10 months as the spiritual leader of the Diocese. Engurait had been serving as Diocesan Administrator since Dorsonville’s passing and now formally assumes leadership of the nearly 90,000 Catholics across Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes.
His appointment was officially announced by Pope Leo XIV on June 5, 2025, making him the first Ugandan bishop to lead a diocese in the United States, and only the second Ugandan bishop ever appointed outside of Uganda, following Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito of South Africa. He also becomes the third Etesot bishop in Church history.
Born on August 28, 1971, in Kaderun Village, Ngora District in Eastern Uganda, Bishop Engurait is the seventh of 14 children. He began his spiritual journey in Catholic seminaries in Uganda, where he also encountered the Catholic Charismatic Renewal while studying at Katigondo Seminary.
Before pursuing the priesthood, he worked in both government and business sectors and earned a Master of Business Administration in the Netherlands. However, he later discerned a call to return to the seminary and was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in 2007.
Engurait completed his Master of Divinity at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans and was ordained a priest in 2013 by Bishop Jacobs at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma.
Bishop Engurait’s pastoral assignments have included roles at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, St. Genevieve, and Christ the Redeemer in Thibodaux. Since 2017, he has served as Pastor of St. Bridget Church in Schriever. He also held key diocesan roles, including Moderator of the Curia, Vicar General, and interim Executive Director of Catholic Charities.
During the consecration ceremony, he received the traditional symbols of episcopal office including the ring, signifying fidelity to the Church, the crosier, representing his pastoral role as shepherd and the miter, a symbol of his call to holiness.
Quoting from St. Paul, the new bishop reflected on the gravity of his new role:
“I do not deserve to be an apostle. But by the grace of God, that is what I am. This appointment did not come because of my worthiness, but because of God’s mercy. And with that mercy comes an awesome, even frightening responsibility—to shepherd God’s people, to guard and defend the faith, and to account not only for my soul but also for the souls entrusted to my care.”
Among the dignitaries present was Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, who conveyed the Holy Father’s blessing and congratulations on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.
Also in attendance were members of Bishop Engurait’s family, including his mother, siblings, and extended relatives who traveled from Uganda for the event. His elder brother serves as a parish priest in Serere, while his sister is a reverend and headmistress in Soroti.
Bishop Engurait’s consecration underscores the increasingly global face of the Catholic Church and affirms the vibrancy of vocations emerging from Africa. His leadership marks a new chapter for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux as it continues its mission of evangelization, service, and community renewal in southern Louisiana.
