Vatican appoints new Ukrainian Eparchial Bishop

 

The Holy Father appointed Father Kenneth Nowakowski, rector of Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Ottawa as a new Ukrainian Eparchial Bishop(Catholics 7,835, priests 13, permanent deacons 2, religious 4) of New Westminster. He succeeds Most Reverend Severian S. Yakymyshyn.

The bishop-elect was born in North Battleford, Canada in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1989. Nowakowski, a 49-year-old native of North Battleford, Sask., is rector of Holy Spirit Ukrainian Seminary in Ottawa and chancellor of the Saskatoon Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy. Father Nowakowski spent more than 10 years in Ukraine, as chief of staff to the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church under two different leaders. He also founded Caritas Ukraine and served as its president. Yakymyshyn, the retiring bishop, has high praise for Nowakowski - "He's going to be the best," said Yakymyshyn, 77.

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