{{Short description|American Roman-Catholic clergyman}}
{{Infobox Christian leader | type = | honorific-prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend | name = Simon Peter Engurait | title = Bishop of Houma–Thibodaux | image = | image_size = | caption = | alt = | church = | diocese = Houma-Thibodaux | appointed = June 5, 2025 | enthroned = September 5, 2025 | retired = | predecessor = Mario Dorsonville | successor = | other_post = | previous_post = <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = May 25, 2013 | ordained_by = Sam Jacobs | consecration = September 5, 2025 | consecrated_by = Gregory Michael Aymond, Shelton Fabre, and Sam Jacobs <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|08|28}} | birth_place = Ngora, Uganda | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | nationality = Ugandan, American{{cn|date=June 2025}} | alma_mater = Makerere University<br>Maastricht School of Management<br>Notre Dame Seminary (New Orleans) | motto = In Deo Tantum | coat_of_arms = 140px }}
{{Infobox bishopstyles | name= Simon Peter Engurait | dipstyle= *His Excellency *The Most Reverend | offstyle=Your Excellency | relstyle=Bishop | image = Coat of arms of Simon Peter Engurait.svg | image_size = 200px }}
'''Simon Peter Engurait''' (born August 28, 1971) is a Ugandan-born American Catholic prelate who serves as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux. He has studied and worked in the US since 2007.
== Early life and education == Engurait was born in Ngora, Eastern Uganda,<ref name="OSV">{{cite web |first=Paulina |last=Guzik |title=Pope Leo XIV names Uganda native, Father Simon Peter Engurait, as bishop of Houma-Thibodaux |publisher=OSV News |date=June 5, 2025 |url=https://www.osvnews.com/pope-leo-xiv-names-uganda-native-father-simon-peter-engurait-as-bishop-of-houma-thibodaux/ |access-date=June 5, 2025}}</ref> the seventh of fourteen children.<ref name=Bio>{{cite web | access-date = June 5, 2025 | website =Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux | date = June 5, 2025 | url =https://www.htdiocese.org/our-bishop-elect | title= Our Bishop Elect Fr. Simon Peter Engurait }}</ref> One of his brothers is a Catholic priest and another sibling is a religious sister.<ref name="OSV"/> He studied at St. Peter's College in Tororo and earned a bachelor's degree in political science and public administration from Makerere University in Kampala in 1995. Engurait then obtained a Master of Business Administration from Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands.<ref name="usccb">{{cite web |title=Pope Leo XIV Appoints Father Simon Peter Engurait as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux |publisher=United States Conference of Catholic Bishops |date=June 5, 2025 |url=https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/pope-leo-xiv-appoints-father-simon-peter-engurait-bishop-houma-thibodaux |access-date=June 5, 2025}}</ref>
In 2007, Engurait moved to the United States to study theology, earning a Master of Divinity from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2013.<ref name="WWL">{{cite web |first=Nigell |last=Moses |title=Father Simon Peter Engurait Named Sixth Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux |publisher=WWL Louisiana |date=June 5, 2025 |url=https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/father-simon-peter-engurait-named-sixth-bishop-of-houma-thibodaux/289-a5a186bb-24b6-47fa-8d0d-1fb0ce98ddbc |access-date=June 5, 2025}}</ref><ref name="Introducing">{{cite web |publisher=Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux Pastoral Center |title=Introducing Our Bishop Elect, Father Simon Peter Engurait |date=June 5, 2025 |url=https://htdiocese.org/our-bishop-elect |access-date=June 6, 2025}}</ref>
== Priesthood == Engurait was ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2013, by Bishop Sam Jacobs.<ref name="usccb"/> His pastoral assignments included service as associate pastor at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma, St. Genevieve Parish in Thibodaux, and Christ the Redeemer Parish in Thibodaux. He became pastor of St. Bridget Parish in Schriever in January 2017.<ref name="CNA">{{cite web |title=Ugandan priest named diocesan administrator of Louisiana diocese following death of bishop |date=January 26, 2024 |publisher=Catholic News Agency |url=https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/256647/ugandan-priest-named-diocesan-administrator-of-louisiana-diocese-following-death-of-bishop |access-date=June 5, 2025}}</ref>
=== Diocesan leadership === In 2016, Engurait was appointed Moderator of the Curia and in 2017 he became Vicar General of the diocese.<ref name="WWL"/> Following the death of Bishop Mario Dorsonville in January 2024, Engurait served as diocesan administrator of the diocese until his appointment as bishop in June 2025.<ref name="CNA"/>
== Episcopacy == On June 5, 2025, Pope Leo XIV appointed Engurait as the sixth bishop of Houma-Thibodaux.<ref name="Appointment">{{cite web |title=Resignations and Appointments, 05.06.2025:Appointment of bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, U.S.A. |publisher=Holy See Press Office |date=June 5, 2025 |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2025/06/05/250605b.html |access-date=June 5, 2025}}</ref> He was consecrated on September 5, 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Louisiana bishop says he finds 'strength, hope and courage' in God |url=https://www.detroitcatholic.com/news/new-louisiana-bishop-says-he-finds-strength-hope-and-courage-in-god |access-date=2025-09-08 |website=Detroit Catholic |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Personal life == Engurait speaks English, Ateso, Kiswahili, and Spanish.<ref name="WWL"/> He states that he has been deeply influenced by Cajun culture.<ref>{{cite web |title=Who is Fr. Simon Peter Engurait? |publisher=Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux |date=June 2025 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRR7-juIEKs |access-date=June 5, 2025}}</ref>
==See also== * Ugandan Americans
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://htdiocese.org/people/rev-simon-peter-engurait Profile, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux] * [https://www.htdiocese.org/ Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux Official Site]
==Episcopal succession== {{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{s-bef|before=Mario Dorsonville}} {{s-ttl|title=Bishop of Houma–Thibodaux|years= 2025-present }} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
{{portal bar|Biography|Catholicism|Louisiana}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Engurait, Simon Peter}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Ugandan civil servants <!-- Category:American Roman Catholic priests--> Category:21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Leo XIV Category:Ugandan emigrants to the United States Category:People from Ngora District