By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Former Howard University Catholic chaplain Bishop Robert P. Boxie III has made history after becoming the youngest active Catholic bishop in the United States and the first member of a Divine Nine fraternity to be elevated to the Catholic Church’s episcopate.
Boxie, a native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was appointed an auxiliary bishop for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington by Pope Leo XIV on May 1, 2026. He was formally consecrated on July 7 at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
The 45-year-old bishop brings an extraordinary academic and professional background to his new role. He earned degrees in chemical engineering and music from Vanderbilt University, received his law degree from Harvard Law School, and later studied theology in Rome, where he earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology before entering the priesthood.
Before joining the seminary, Boxie worked as a federal law clerk and corporate attorney in Washington. He later served six years as the Catholic chaplain at Howard University, where he became a respected spiritual leader, guiding students through the COVID-19 pandemic and helping establish the Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Student Center, the university’s first dedicated Catholic student center.
Boxie’s consecration also marks a milestone for Black Greek-letter organizations. A member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., he is the first member of the Divine Nine to become a Catholic bishop.
Church leaders say Boxie’s appointment reflects a new generation of leadership within the Catholic Church and highlights the growing influence of Black Catholics in American religious life.