ABOUT MARIO E. DORSONVILLE

Mario E. Dorsonville was from Bogotá, Colombia and attended the Major Seminary of the Archdiocese of Bogotá. He was ordained to the priesthood on November 23, 1985 in Bogotá. Following ordination, he served in many roles within the Archdiocese of Bogota. Eventually, he came to Washington, DC and attended The Catholic University of America where he received a doctorate in ministry.

After receiving his doctorate in 1996, he served as Associate Pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Bethesda, Maryland until 2004. Then, for the next ten years, he served as Vice President for Mission of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington and Director of the Spanish Catholic Center. Additionally, one of the things he loved the most was serving as a mentor for newly ordained priests from 2010-2014 and as Adjunct Spiritual Director for St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C.

Mario E. Dorsonville was named an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington by Pope Francis on March 20, 2015 and ordained to the episcopate on April 20, 2015. Bishop Dorsonville was a member of the Committee on Catholic Education and was Chairman for the Committee on Migration for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Pope Francis appointed Mario E. Dorsonville as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana on February 1, 2023. He was installed on Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at the Cathedral of St. Francis de Sales in Houma. On January 19, 2024, our beloved Bishop Dorsonville passed away due to health complications in the liver.

“The bishop was known as a hopeful and encouraging voice in the Catholic Church for Hispanic immigrants like himself at a time when newcomers and people from different cultures in the country have faced challenges”

“He was there to encourage and comfort people in the face of tragedies, and his homilies made the faith relevant to real life with anecdotes and personal stories.”

“When he was a high school minor seminary student in his native Colombia, he rode on horseback for five hours to take Communion to a sick woman living on a mountain.”

“I will miss his positive energy and wonderful sense of humor. It is now our responsibility to continue the good work.”