By The B.C. Catholic with files from the Catholic Register

[Vancouver – Canadian Catholic News] – The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster, B.C., has a new bishop.

Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski was enthroned as the fourth Bishop of the Eparchy of New Westminster at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Vancouver on Nov. 18, 2023.

Bishop Kwiatkowski replaces Bishop Ken Nowakowski, who was assigned to the Eparchy of London, England, in 2020. Since then, Bishop David Motiuk of the Eparchy of Edmonton has served as apostolic administrator of the New Westminster eparchy.

RELATED: Pope Francis appoints bishop for Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon (LINK)

Bishop Kwiatkowski brings to his new position a desire for collaboration with his priests and other Catholic leaders in the area and an appreciation for the need to surrender oneself to the will of God.

Bishop Kwiatkowski says he is appreciative of the work of the Church in B.C. in welcoming refugees from the war in Ukraine. (Photo by Herb Yang, The B.C. Catholic – CCN)

“I look forward to learning and collabourating with my clergy and other Church leaders in discerning and providing the guidance of the Church to all who seek it,” he told The B.C. Catholic in an email.

“I have been learning over the years … that the success of our priestly ministry will depend, to a large part, on our total surrender to the Will of God as did the Mother of God at the Annunciation,” he said. “Not a mere docile surrender, as wonderful an attitude as that is in itself, but a more proactive dedication of oneself to living and achieving God’s Will in all things.”

Bishop Kwiatkowski accepted his new appointment “with a good mixture of both trepidation and excitement,” he said.  (Photo by Herb Yang, The B.C. Catholic – CCN)

Bishop Kwiatkowski was born in Hamiota, Manitoba, and has degrees in philosophy, theology, and canon law. He spent 10 years in Ukraine from 1996 to 2006, where he served as the Chancellor of the Archeparchy of Lviv. He spent the last decade as a parish priest in Winnipeg, most recently at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where he served for the last two years.

“I accepted the appointment, of course, with a good mixture of both trepidation and excitement,” he said. “Both of which still seem to be vying for influence over my emotions.”

He remarked on “the amazing work” being done by the Church in British Columbia “in welcoming those who have recently been forced from their homes due to the terrible war in Ukraine.”

Looking forward to his new position and his new home, he said, “I am already praying for the faithful, the clergy, and bishops that I will be meeting in the months and years ahead. God bless us all.”

 -30-