My dear brothers and sisters, the family of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, the grace and peace of the Lord be with you.
As you may be aware, following the death of Bishop Mario Dorsonville and in accordance with the provisions of Canon Law, the College of Consultors elected me to serve you as the Diocesan Administrator until our holy father appoints a new bishop. This is an immense task and I am humbled by the confidence they had in me. I pray that the Lord will grant me the grace to serve each one of you well even as we grieve together the loss of our beloved shepherd, Bishop Mario Dorsonville.
The gospel relates that on the occasion of the death of his friend Lazarus, our Lord wept and at this the people said, ‘see how much he loved him (Lazarus)’ (John 11:16). May we therefore be reminded that we grieve because we love. Let us take comfort in the knowledge of our love for him and his love for us. He loved the people of Houma-Thibodaux greatly and considered himself blessed to be part of this diocesan family. In spite of never having visited Louisiana, Houma-Thibodaux quickly became home to him. I am deeply grateful to all of those who organized and participated in the Funeral Rites for Bishop Dorsonville.
To begin his ministry in this local church, Bishop Dorsonville was installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma and in fulfillment of his request we laid him to rest at the cathedral dedicated to his patron, St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux. His last wishes were a sign of the beginning and end of his ministry in our diocese—his alpha and omega.
Let us remember to pray for Bishop Dorsonville, that he may receive his eternal reward in the company of our heavenly Father and the communion of saints. May our grief be accompanied by great hope—hope of a new intercessor in heaven, hope for our own salvation, hope for life everlasting.
As we move forward as a diocese, though we may feel tossed by the storms of our own grief, let us hold on to the promise of our Emmanuel—God with us.
Please pray for me.
Fr. Simon Peter Engurait
Diocesan Administrator
Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux