BREAKING NEWS: Pope Leo XIV Appoints Soroti-Born Priest as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, USA

In a historic announcement made on June 5, 2025, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Reverend Simon Peter Engurait, a Ugandan-born priest from Soroti Catholic Diocese, as the sixth Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in the United States.

The appointment was made public by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’affaires at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C., who is currently acting in place of Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop-elect Engurait becomes the first priest of Ugandan origin to be appointed to the episcopacy in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, marking a significant milestone in the global Catholic Church’s embrace of diverse leadership.

His roots trace back to Ngora District in Eastern Uganda.

Born on August 28, 1971, in Ngora, Father Engurait pursued early religious education at St. Peter’s College in Tororo, Uganda.

He later attended Makerere University in Kampala, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1995, and further expanded his academic credentials with a Master of Business Administration from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands in 1999.

Responding to a deeper calling, he entered Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he completed his Master of Divinity in 2013.

That same year, he was ordained a priest on May 25, entering into active ministry in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

Since his ordination, Bishop-elect Engurait has served in several parishes across the diocese.

He began as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales in Houma (2013-2015), followed by stints at Saint Genevieve Parish (2015-2016) and Christ the Redeemer Parish (2016-2017), both in Thibodaux.

In 2017, he was appointed pastor of Saint Bridget Parish in Schriever, a position he has held with distinction.

Beyond parish ministry, Bishop-elect Engurait has been a key figure in diocesan administration.

He served as moderator of the curia beginning in 2016 and was appointed vicar general in 2017, a position he held until 2024.

Most recently, he has served as the Diocesan Administrator, guiding the diocese during its period of episcopal transition.

Fluent in English, Ateso, Kishwahili, and Spanish, Bishop-elect Engurait is widely admired for his intercultural sensitivity, pastoral leadership, and administrative expertise.

The Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, located in southern Louisiana, covers approximately 3,500 square miles and serves a total population of 257,548, of whom 75,761 are Catholic.

News of his appointment has been met with jubilation both in Louisiana and in Uganda.

In Ngora, local Catholics expressed pride at seeing one of their own rise to such a prominent role in the global Church.

Bishop-elect Engurait’s episcopal ordination date is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.