GSCS alumnus appointed bishop-elect for eparchy
On November 30, 2023, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed the Reverend Father Michael Smolinski, C.Ss.R., Provincial Superior of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, Province of Canada, as the new Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saskatoon.
Bishop-Elect Smolinski was born on September 10, 1972. He was ordained a priest on July 5, 2003. He completed primary and secondary education at Greater Saskatoon Catholic schools (Bishop Pocock School and Holy Cross High School) finishing in 1990.
He obtained a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1994. Bishop-Elect Smolinski obtained a Master of Divinity degree in 2002 from the University of St. Michael’s College through the Faculty of Theology.
He continued studies to earn a Certificate in Eastern Christian Studies in 2023 at the University of St. Paul/Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies.
He worked with youth as Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Edmonton Eparchy (1994-1996). A few years later, he served as the assistant pastor at St. Joseph Ukrainian Church in Winnipeg (2003-2005). He worked as director at The Welcome Home (Redemptorist Inner-City Mission) in Winnipeg from 2015 to 2019.
Bishop-Elect Smolinski was pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church Saskatoon (2015-2019). He also served as the Extraordinary Provincial Council Member and Ordinary Provincial Council Member in the former Redemptorist Province of Yorkton and Consultor, Eparchy of Saskatoon (2015-2019).
He worked as coordinator of the Yorkton region (Province of Canada) and assistant pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Saskatoon from 2019 to 2022.
Bishop-Elect Smolinski was elected provincial superior of the Redemptorist Province of Canada on November 9, 2022.
His enthronement as Bishop of the Eparchy will be announced at a later date. Bishop-Elect Smolinski will replace the current apostolic administrator, the Most Rev. Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak, O.S.B.M., Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of Canada.
content adapted from a Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops news release
