Pope appoints Ugandan priest Engurait as Bishop in US

Pope Leo IV has appointed Msgr Simon Peter Engurait, a Uganda-born priest, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in the United States.

The appointment was officially announced by the Vatican this week, marking a historic moment for Uganda’s Catholic community. Engurait, who has been serving as the diocesan administrator of Houma-Thibodaux, becomes the second Ugandan to be appointed bishop outside Uganda, joining Bishop Joseph Mary Kizito of Aliwal in South Africa.

The appointment of Engurait as bishop has been officially confirmed and published by the Vatican press office. The news has also been formally communicated to both the United States and the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux by Christophe Cardinal Pierre, the Vatican’s representative to the US and former Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda.

Commenting on the appointment, the Bishop-elect Engurait noted that, “I did not expect this, 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,” he said as reported by WWL Louisiana.

He added that “I give thanks to God for the gift of life, for the call to the priesthood, and now, for this new and sacred calling to the apostolic ministry. Everything I am, and all that I hope to be, is by His grace,” he said.

Born on August 28, 1971, in Ngora, eastern Uganda, Engurait began his journey in the Church through formation at Saint Peter Minor Seminary in Soroti and later at Saint Peter’s College in Tororo.

Before joining the priesthood, he earned a degree in political science and public administration from Makerere University and went on to obtain a Master’s in business administration from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands.

After moving to the United States, he pursued theological studies at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, where he completed a Master of Divinity. He was ordained a priest in 2013 for the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana. He speaks English, Ateso, Kishwahili, and Spanish.

Since his ordination, he has served in various roles, including parish vicar at several churches, parish priest of Saint Bridget since 2017, moderator of the Curia, vicar general, and most recently, diocesan administrator following the departure of the previous bishop.

His appointment is not only a significant milestone for the diocese he now leads, but also a point of pride for Uganda, showcasing the global reach and impact of its clergy. Uganda has increasingly become a source of missionary clergy, with many priests and religious men and women serving in dioceses around the world.

As the Catholic Church in Uganda continues to grow in both vocations, which are ondecline in many other areas of the world, it is now contributing significantly to global evangelisation. Ugandan priests are being sent to serve in countries across Africa, Europe, North America, and beyond, offering pastoral care, leadership, and spiritual guidance in communities facing shortages of local clergy.

This shift marks a powerful reversal of earlier missionary dynamics, where Uganda once received missionaries from abroad, and now proudly sends its own to strengthen the Church worldwide.