Photos and information courtesy of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC)

Head of the world-wide Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, His Beatitude, the Most Rev. Sviatoslav Shevchuk presided at the joyful celebration of the Nomination (Jan. 19), Consecration (Jan. 20), and Installation of a new bishop for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon. Bishop Michael Smolinski, CSsR, is the sixth bishop of the Eparchy that includes the entire province of Saskatchewan.

The celebrations and the visit of the Patriarch were particularly moving as the leader prayed for and with the new bishop and the entire community, and as he noted the vibrancy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Saskatchewan, while calling for continued prayers and support for the suffering Church in Ukraine, besieged by war.

A bishop comes home

Bishop Michael Smolinski, CSsR, who was born and raised in Saskatoon and attended local Catholic schools, was ordained a priest in 2003 and served in Edmonton, Winnipeg and Saskatoon before his most recent appointment as provincial superior of the Redemptorist Province of Canada in November 2022. Pope Francis announced his appointment as the sixth bishop of the Ukrainian Cathoic Eparchy of Saskatoon on Nov. 30, 2022.

Among the bishops participating in the enthronment of the new bishop were Metropolitan of Canada Lawrence Huculak, OSBM, Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg, who has been serving as apostolic administrator of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon; previous Eparchial Bishop Most Rev. Bryan Bayda, who was appointed bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada in April 2022; and Bishop Emeritus Most Rev. Michael Wiwchar, who retired in 2008.

RELATED: Interview of new bishop – Link to Eparchy of Saskatoon news item – “God showed me that I am home.”

Great Vespers and Episcopal Nomination

The nomination decrees naming the new bishop and Bishop Smolinski’s profession of faith were part of the evening Vespers held Jan, 19, 2024 at the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Dormiton of the Mother of God in Saskatoon.

It was noted that Bishop Michael Smolinski receives the episcopal ministry at a time when war is ranging in the homeland of the Mother Church in Ukraine, the impact of which has reached the Saskatoon Eparchy: “Your Excellency, pray that the Lord will grant us a just peace. Take care of the many refugees who, fleeing death, have found themselves in the territory of your diocese.”

RELATED: Great Vespers & Episcopal Nomination – Link to UGCC news item

Episcopal Consecration

Metropolitan Archbishop Lawrence Huculak, Bishop Bryan Bayda, Bishop Emeritus Michael Wiwchar, and Ukrainian Catholic and Roman Catholic bishops from across western Canada joined Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk for the Episcopal Consecration of Bishop Smolinski on Saturday morning, Jan. 20 at Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church — the same church where the new bishop was baptized, ordained a priest, and served as pastor and associate pastor.

In his homily, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said that the Episcopal Consecration is a moment of unity for the Mother Church in Ukraine and the priests, clergy, and laity in Canada: “The birth of a new Ukrainian bishop in Canada is a beacon of hope for the entire Ukrainian people, who today are paying the highest price for freedom and the very right to exist in their native land.”

RELATED: Episcopal Consecration – Link to UGCC news item

“At the beginning of the rite, a papal bull was read aloud, in which the Holy Father conveyed his embrace to the Ukrainian Church in Saskatoon, expressing his desire to appoint Father Michael Smolinski as its bishop. Afterward, Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski, Eparch of New Westminster, and Bishop David Motiuk, Eparch of Edmonton, read in Ukrainian and English the Decree of the Head of the UGCC on the proclamation of Fr. Michael Smolinski as Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Decree naming him Eparchial Bishop of the Saskatoon Eparchy for Ukrainians (Canada).” – UGCC news item

Episcopal Installation

In a joyful celebration Sunday morning, Jan. 21, 2024 at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of St. George in the heart of Saskatoon, the newly-consecrated Bishop Michael Smolinski was officially installed and enthroned as the sixth bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon.

RELATED: Episcopal Installation – Link to UGCC news item

Patriarch Shevchuk prayed that the new bishop would be an icon of Christ in his new role as the shepherd of the Ukrainian Catholic Church across the province of Saskatchewan.

At the conclusion of the celebration, Bishop Smolinski expressed his gratitude and profound thanks to the Patriarch, to his fellow bishops, his Redemptorist confreres, clergy, religious, laity, those who assisted in the celebrations and all in attendance at the celebrations throughout the weekend.

-30-