Oudtshoorn, 12 November 2026 – Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Enrico Valentino Parry, a priest-son of the Diocese of Oudtshoorn and until the announcement this morning, Director of the Interregional Meeting of the Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) Secretariat in Harare, Zimbabwe, as the new Bishop of Keimoes-Upington, South Africa.
Fr Parry succeeds Bishop Edward Gabriel Risi OMI, who died on 4 December 2025, after serving the diocese for 25 years. Since Bishop Risi’s death, Archbishop Zolile Peter Mpambani SCJ of Bloemfontein has served as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese.
A priest with extensive pastoral and academic experience
Born on 28 December 1968 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa, Father Parry was ordained a priest on 17 April 1995 at St Saviour’s Cathedral in Oudtshoorn by Bishop Edward Adams. He began his priestly ministry in the Diocese of Oudtshoorn, serving as assistant parish priest in Mossel Bay and Swellendam from 1995 to 1998.
He subsequently pursued further theological studies, obtaining a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome in 2000. In 2006, he completed a doctorate in Systematic Theology at the University of South Africa. His doctoral thesis examined collegiality within the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) and explored the development of a local model of episcopal collegiality.
His academic and formation ministry included several appointments at St John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria, where he served as lecturer, formator, Dean of Students and, eventually, Rector from 2008 to 2011. He also lectured at St Augustine College of South Africa in Johannesburg.
A diocese awaiting its new shepherd
The Diocese of Keimoes-Upington is situated in South Africa and falls under the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Bloemfontein. It covers an extensive geographical territory of approximately 272,000 square kilometres.
The diocese has a history dating back to the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Keimoes, which later became the Diocese of Keimoes. Its name was changed to the Diocese of Keimoes-Upington on 8 February 1985.
According to the 2023 ecclesiastical statistics, the diocese has approximately 70,276 Catholics, representing 16.4 per cent of its total population of 429,000. Its pastoral structure comprises 25 parishes served by 21 priests, including 15 diocesan priests and six religious priests. The diocese also has one permanent deacon, seven male religious and 20 female religious.
The appointment of Fr Parry brings to the diocese a priest whose ministry has encompassed parish pastoral work, priestly formation, theological research, diocesan administration, and regional ecclesial collaboration.
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