On February 22-24, 2026, the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Western Canada held its annual meeting at the Roman Catholic Parish of Our Lady of Fatima in the city of Victoria, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Bishop Andriy Rabiy, Auxiliary Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg, participated in the gathering.
Founded in 1974, the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Western Canada comprises over 25 bishops from 22 dioceses and eparchies across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon.
Participants arrived in Victoria on Monday evening. The meeting officially commenced on Tuesday morning with the prayer of the First Hour, led by Bishop Andriy Rabiy. Following the prayer, Archbishop Stephen Hero of Edmonton opened the session by welcoming everyone and congratulating the Assembly’s members on their appointments: Archbishop Richard Smith (Vancouver), Archbishop Charles Duval (Grouard-McLennan), and Archbishop Susai Jesu (Keewatin–Le Pas).
During the business session, the Assembly’s governing body was re-elected, and financial reports were reviewed. After lunch, the bishops held a video conference with Father Jean Vézina, General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB). They discussed the upcoming ad limina visit to the Apostolic See scheduled for next year, alongside other current issues. The day concluded with a celebration of Holy Mass at the parish, presided over by Bishop Gary Gordon of the Diocese of Victoria. Students from the local St. Patrick’s Catholic School enriched the liturgy with their beautiful singing.
Wednesday’s schedule began with morning prayer led by Archbishop Charles Duval of Grouard-McLennan. The morning session was dedicated to reports and presentations from the insurance company APEX established by the Assembly.
The afternoon session featured a presentation by Douglas and Candice Chappell, representatives of Worldwide Marriage Encounter, followed by an address from Dr. Gerry Turcotte of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Canada. The day concluded with a Holy Mass presided over by Archbishop Murray Chatlain of Winnipeg.
The final day opened with a Holy Mass celebrated by the Assembly’s one of the newest member, Archbishop Susai Jesu of Keewatin–Le Pas. The agenda continued with an engaging presentation by Father Roger Niedzielski from Alberta. He spoke on the origins of Artificial Intelligence, its positive and negative impacts in today’s world, offering guidance on how to distinguish between authentic and AI-generated information.
Equally compelling was a presentation by Hugo Isaza and Nancy Topping from Madonna House. They reflected on Pope Francis’s encyclical Dilexi Te regarding love for the poor. They also shared how the Madonna House apostolate—founded in Combermere, Ontario, by Catherine Doherty—continues to implement and refine its care for the marginalized in the communities it serves.
The third presentation of the day was a progress report from the Canadian Conference for the Promotion of Vocations to the Priesthood, Diaconate, and Religious Life by Fr. David Hogman. Proposals for closer collaboration between the Conference of Vocations and the Assembly of Bishops were presented and unanimously supported.
The gathering concluded with two final reports addressing the ongoing implementation of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality and the national ecumenical strategy program.
In addition to Bishop Andriy Rabiy, other participating Ukrainian Catholic bishops included Bishop David Motiuk of Edmonton, Bishop Michael Smolinski of Saskatoon, and Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski of New Westminster.
This intensive three-day meeting provided a valuable opportunity for the bishops to connect, welcome new members, and share pastoral experiences. It allowed them to better understand the unique situations of each region and collaboratively develop strategies to address modern challenges. The full Assembly will convene again this September during the Plenary Assembly of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in Montreal.
Department of Information
Archeparchy of Winnipeg
