WINNIPEG, MB — From Sunday evening, April 12, through Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the Ukrainian Catholic bishops of North America convened in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The meetings took place at the Chancery Office of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg, situated along the banks of the historic Red River.
The gathering served to strengthen the fraternal bonds among the bishops while providing a forum to discuss the unique challenges facing the Ukrainian Catholic Church within the North American diaspora. The hierarchs used the opportunity to celebrate recent achievements and coordinate strategic planning for the future of their eparchies.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Winnipeg, the Most Rev. Lawrence Huculak, hosted the following hierarchs:
Archbishop Borys Gudziak (Archbishop of Philadelphia, Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States)
Bishop David Motiuk (Eparchy of Edmonton)
Bishop Paul Chomnycky (Eparchy of Stamford)
Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk (St. Nicholas Eparchy in Chicago)
Bishop Bryan Bayda (Eparchy of Toronto)
Bishop Bohdan Danylo (St. Josaphat Eparchy in Parma)
Bishop Michael Smolinski (Eparchy of Saskatoon)
Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski (Eparchy of New Westminster)
Bishop Andriy Rabiy (Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg)
Over the two-day period, the Canadian and American bishops held separate Metropolia meetings to address region-specific concerns, culminating in a final plenary session involving all bishops.
The assembly reviewed progress reports from several key bodies, including the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission (presented by Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski), the Patriarchal Youth Commission (Bishop Bryan Bayda), and the Patriarchal Commission for Clergy (Bishop Bohdan Danylo).
A significant portion of the dialogue focused on the humanitarian and pastoral challenges faced by recent Ukrainian immigrants. The bishops discussed practical ways for parish communities to offer support and integration assistance. Additionally, they reviewed the status of the new English translation of the Divine Liturgy, which is expected to be available to the faithful by the end of late 2026.
The bishops also reaffirmed their endorsement of two major upcoming events:
- SingCon Cantors Workshop: To be held at St. Elias Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Brampton, ON, from September 10–14, 2026.
- The Unity Youth Pilgrimage: (Formerly the All-American Youth Pilgrimage) To be held in Parma, OH, from June 11–14, 2026.
Lay participation from all eparchies is highly encouraged for both events.
The proceedings concluded Tuesday evening with a testimonial banquet honoring Most Rev. Archbishop Lawrence Huculak. The event celebrated a double milestone: his 75th birthday, 49th anniversary of priesthood, 29th anniversary of episcopal consecration and the 20th anniversary of his installation as Metropolitan of Winnipeg. More than 400 guests, including bishops, priests, religious sisters and brothers, and lay faithful, gathered to honor their archpastor for his decades of dedicated service.
Department of Communications for the Archeparchy of Winnipeg
