The Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, has begun a pastoral visit to Canada. From January 19–21 in Saskatoon, he will preside over the episcopal consecration of Fr. Michael Smolinski and his installation as the ruling bishop of the Saskatoon Eparchy of the UGCC, while also meeting with the local Ukrainian community.
On January 18, the Head of the UGCC was greeted in Saskatoon by representatives of the clergy and monastics of the Eparchy. Among those welcoming him were Bishop-nominee Michael Smolinski and Fr. Ivan Nahachevsky, along with students and teachers from the Ukrainian bilingual program at Bethlehem Catholic High School.
photo by the press service of the Saskatoon Eparchy of the UGCC
Below is the schedule of services for the episcopal consecration and installation of Fr. Michael Smolinski:
January 19 at 6:30 PM local time (January 20 at 2:30 AM Kyiv time): The Rite of Episcopal Nomination and Great Vespers will take place at the Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Saskatoon, led by the Bishop-nominee. This service will be broadcast by Zhyve TV on January 20 at 9:00 AM Kyiv time.
January 20 at 10:00 AM local time (6:00 PM Kyiv time): The Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with the Episcopal Consecration of Fr. Michael will be held at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul.
January 21 at 10:00 AM local time: During the Divine Liturgy at St. George’s Cathedral, His Beatitude Sviatoslav will enthrone the sixth Bishop of the Saskatoon Eparchy.
The consecration and installation services will be broadcast live by Zhyve TV on January 20 and 21 at 6:00 PM Kyiv time.
Following the episcopal consecration, the Head of the UGCC will hold a series of meetings in Saskatoon.
On January 21 at 7:00 PM local time, His Beatitude Sviatoslav will meet with newly arrived Ukrainians at St. George’s Cathedral in Saskatoon. The gathering will begin with a Moleben for Peace in Ukraine.
On January 22, the Patriarch will meet with the clergy of the Saskatoon Eparchy. The following day, January 23, he will visit the Bishop Filevich Ukrainian Bilingual School, which offers a specialized program for its 270 students—many of whom are recently arrived Ukrainian children. Students from the Ukrainian bilingual program at Bethlehem Catholic High School will also participate in this meeting.
