Ugandan cleric Fr Enguriat installed as bishop of Houma-Thibodaux

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Ugandan priest Fr Simon Peter Enguriat has been installed as the new bishop of Houma-Thibodaux Diocese in the United States, making history as the first black bishop to lead the diocese.

The installation ceremony, held at the Cathedral of St Francis de Sales on September 5, 2025, drew hundreds of parishioners, clergy, and dignitaries from both the United States and abroad.

Among the attendees were the Bishop of Soroti Diocese, Joseph Eciru Oliach, from Enguriat’s home diocese, his mother Crencentia Aeko, family members, and friends from Uganda and other parts of the world.

Ugandan priest Fr Simon Peter Enguriat has been installed as the new bishop of Houma-Thibodaux Diocese. (Courtesy photo)

The event, held at the Cathedral of St Francis de Sales, drew hundreds of parishioners, clergy, and dignitaries from both the United States and abroad. Among the attendees were the Bishop of Soroti Diocese, Joseph Eciru Oliach, from Enguriat’s home diocese, his mother Crencentia Aeko, family members, and friends from Uganda and other parts of the world.

Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States and former Papal Nuncio to Uganda, presided over the liturgical celebration and officially handed over the pastoral staff to Bishop Enguriat.

Pope Leo XIV appointed Fr Enguriat, 53, as the sixth bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, making him the first black bishop to lead the diocese. His appointment was announced on June 5, 2025, by Monsignor Većeslav Tumir, chargé d’affaires of the Apostolic Nunciature, during the temporary absence of Cardinal Christophe Pierre.

Fr Enguriat, inspired by the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, left a well-paying government job to pursue his calling to the priesthood, following the path of two of his siblings already in religious life.

Bishop’s commitment

In his address, Bishop Enguriat pledged to serve with humility, courage, and compassion. “I come not as a stranger but as a brother in faith. My prayer is that together we can walk in the footsteps of Christ, sharing hope, healing, and the love of God with all people.”

Reports indicate that Bishop Enguriat is the second Ugandan to be appointed a bishop outside Uganda, after Bishop Joseph Kizito, who was named Bishop of Aliwal Diocese in South Africa in 2019, becoming the first black bishop of that diocese.

Uganda has produced other notable Catholic leaders abroad, including Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, emeritus Papal Nuncio to Belgium, who served in several countries across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

Early life and formation

Born on August 28, 1971, to the late Clement William Aeko and Crencentia Aeko in Ngora, Soroti Catholic Diocese, Enguriat was raised in a devout Catholic family. He attended St Peter Minor Seminary in Soroti and St Peter’s College in Tororo before earning an undergraduate degree from Makerere University and later an MBA from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands.

Enguriat was ordained a deacon in 2012 and a priest in 2013. He speaks English, Ateso, Kiswahili, and Spanish.

Past assignments

Following his ordination, Enguriat served as a parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales in Houma (2013–2015), Saint Genevieve Parish in Thibodaux (2015–2016), and Christ the Redeemer Parish in Thibodaux (2016–2017). Since 2017, he has been pastor of St Bridget Parish in Schriever.

He was appointed Vicar General of Houma-Thibodaux in 2017 and had also served as Moderator of the Curia since 2016. Following the sudden death of Bishop Mario Dorsonville on January 19, 2024, Enguriat was chosen by the diocesan college of consultors as diocesan administrator until Pope Leo XIV appointed him bishop.