The consecration of The Most Reverend Robert P. Boxie III on July 7, 2026, marked a historic milestone for both the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and the broader American Church. With his deep spiritual commitment and impeccable credentials, Boxie’s elevation to the episcopate was a historic occasion for the global religious community on several fronts. Here’s an introduction to one of the Catholic Church’s newest leaders, and the first member of the Divine Nine to hold his position.
He’s a Louisiana Native
Born on September 12, 1980, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Boxie and his family were deeply rooted in the community of Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, a historically Black Catholic parish in the region. In 1998, he graduated from St. Louis Catholic High School in Lake Charles.
He Has Multi-Disciplinary Academic Background
Before answering the call to the priesthood, Bishop Boxie pursued a fascinating mix of academic disciplines. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2002 with a degree in chemical engineering and a second major in music. Following a year teaching English in France, he earned his Juris Doctor (JD) in 2007 from Harvard Law School. When he felt called to the priesthood, he studied at the Pontifical North American College and the Gregorian University in Rome, where he received his Licentiate of Sacred Theology (STL) in 2017.
He Worked as a Federal Clerk and Corporate Lawyer
Before entering the seminary in 2010, Bishop Boxie established a successful legal career in Washington, D.C. His legal background includes serving as a federal law clerk for the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland, followed by a tenure as an associate at the corporate law firm Vinson & Elkins LLP.
He was a Beloved Chaplain at Howard University
Boxie spent six years as the Catholic chaplain at Howard University, where he became a pillar of the campus community. During his tenure, he guided the ministry through the challenges of the pandemic, organized student civil rights pilgrimages, and championed the historic 2023 launch of the Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Student Center, establishing the very first dedicated space for Catholic students on the HBCU campus.
He is America’s Youngest Catholic Bishop
On May 1, 2026, Pope Leo XIV appointed him as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington, and he was offcially consecrated on July 7, 2026, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The 45-year-old Louisiana native officially became the youngest active Catholic bishop in the United States. He’s also the first Black Bishop ordained in almost a decade since Bishop Roy Edward Campbell Jr., who was consecrated on April 21, 2015, as an auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.
Groundbreaking Greek Life Milestone
Boxie is the first member of the “Divine Nine” to hold the office of bishop in the Catholic Church. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., having been initiated into the Kappa Theta Chapter at Vanderbilt in 2000.
