Once again, the priests of the Eparchy of New Westminster gathered at the Seton House of Prayer in Kelowna, British Columbia. The retreat participants travelled by land, water and air to make their way to this beautiful city on the shores of the famous Okanagan Lake. They came from Vancouver Island, Prince George in the north and from all across the lower mainland. The retreat director was Redemptorist missionary, Fr. John Sianchuk, CSsR from Winnipeg, Manitoba where he is the director of the Blessed Vasyl’ Velychkovsky National Martyr’s Shrine.
The annual clergy retreat of the Eparchy of New Westminster took place from May 5 to 8, 2025, at the Seton House of Prayer in Kelowna, BC. Most Reverend Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski opened the retreat with a blessing and invited the faithful to pray for their priests during this special time of spiritual renewal.
Not all the clergy were able to attend for various reasons, but those who made it were truly pleased that they came. Fr. John shared amazing stories and insights from the life of the holy hieromartyr Vasyl Velychkovsky, who was declared “Blessed” by Pope St. John Paul II in 2001, as well as his own life as a priest for over 50 years. He gave a series of over 10 talks and homily reflections over the four days that the clergy were together. His first talk, given in the context of a Marian Moleben’ and was livestreamed, garnering over 1300 views, was open to the public at the local Ukrainian Catholic Parish of the Dormition of the Mother of God in Kelowna, where Fr. Pavlo Myts is Pastor. Fr. John focused on the meaning of the Jubilee Year as a time of God’s mercy, hope, and love. He emphasized that true hope does not come from within ourselves but from the Risen Christ, who gives us the promise of eternal life. This faith allows Christians to face even death with courage. “Let us feel the grace and presence of Christ. Come to Him and trust Him — when we are with God, He can transform even what is evil into good,” Fr. John encouraged.
At the conclusion of the talk Fr. John Sianchuk blessed each person with the holy oil from the Shrine of Blessed Vasyl’ in Winnipeg, MB. The parish then hosted the priests and all the attendees to and amazing supper of fellowship in the parish centre.
These four days together provided for the priests of the Eparchy moments of inspiration, profound reflection, encouragement, spiritual renewal and fellowship. Father John based a lot of his talks and examples on the life and times of Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky. This confessor and martyr for his Faith – not only in his last years, but from a younger age as a student, seminarian and priest. This is why the gathered clergy could relate to his life as well as be inspired by his love and tenacity in difficult times. Father Sianchuk also shared personal experiences from his own life as a priest from his young days when discerning his vocation and through his years in serving God’s People in schools, parishes and within his religious Redemptorist community.
The second day focused on spiritual thirst — our thirst for Christ and His thirst for us. Priests were invited to be attentive to God’s call: to serve, to love, and to respond with open hearts. At the Cross, Christ said, “I thirst.” He was not merely thirsting for water, but for our love, our good deeds, our hearts. He longs for us to share His life — both here and in eternity. “Who needs you today? Look around and see the Cross in those who are in need”. Mercy is helping others find Christ. The Jubilee Year offers us the opportunity to drink from the waters of eternal life.
“When God transforms you, you move from information to realization.” “When God looks at me, who does He see? He sees His Beloved Son/Daughter. And this is our task — to become the image of God’s Son.”
Day Three: We delved into the Power of Prayer
The third day emphasized the central role of prayer in the life of a priest. Christ Himself often prayed — even when He was tired — because He knew the importance of communion with the Father. As true man, He knew God as His loving Father.
“Jesus teaches us how to open our hearts to God. My strength is being present in prayer. The power of the Cross is bringing others to prayer.”
The reflection also stressed that we cannot claim to love God while hating our neighbour. That is a lie. “Loving one another is not optional — it’s the sign that you are a Christian.”
On the morning of the last day, they prayed a Divine Liturgy together at the simple but prayerful St. Joseph the worker Chapel up on the hill above the retreat centre territory. At the close of the Liturgy, they prayed a Panakhyda for all the deceased clergy – bishops and priests – as well as religious sisters who had ever served the Eparchy. Bishop Michael read the name of each from a long list. Some of the clergy added a few names that had been forgotten.
At the clergy conference on the last morning, Bishop Michael shared plans for the future of the Eparchy, including parish visitations and increased engagement with parish councils and faithful. He concluded with a blessing and heartfelt message: “If someone comes to your church, it means the Lord has sent them to you. Take care of them. Invite them to prayer, into conversation, into community. Share your time and love. Open your doors to all people.”
A Pope is Chosen
In the course of the retreat, the brother priests experienced moments of forgiveness, of fellowship and tangible moments of God’s loving and emboldening grace. Throughout the retreat they prayed for the College of Cardinals who were meeting in Rome for prior consistory meetings and the very Conclave to choose a successor to the Apostle Peter and become the Pope to succeed Pope Francis. It was on the last day of the retreat, when they gathered for a more administrative-pastoral session that someone received a notice via their smartphone and exclaimed, “there is white smoke”. Everyone knew what that meant – that a new Pope had been chosen. The clergy continued their discussions for the good of the Eparchy, but keeping an eye on a laptop screen. It took a while, but when they saw that the procession Cross appeared on the high external balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica overlooking the famous Square, they stopped everything and focused on the livestream feed from the “eternal city”. Some threw out names of who they thought was the Cardinal who was chosen. Not really made the right guess. However, interestingly, one of the priests thought that the new Pope might chose the name “Leo”.
Everyone was elated at the announcement of Pope Leo XIV as the 267th Pope of the Church of Christ. They were happy to have been together for this historic moment in the life of the Church that they love and serve. They will remember it through their lives of ministry together.
At the end of the retreat. They had a common meal together, then the retreat Director, Father John gave a brief last exhortation, led everyone in a Jubilee Year prayer and then gave a blessing to everyone. Within a short time, goodbyes were said and the priests left the way they came… making their way back to the parishes that they serve across the eparchy.
Please keep your priests in your prayer as they return to pastoral ministry among the Faithful of the Eparchy of New Westminster.
8 May 2025, Ottawa – Today, the Church in Canada and throughout the world rejoices, as His Eminence Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost, O.S.A., after being duly elected by the College of Cardinals, has accepted to become the 267th Bishop of Rome, successor of Saint Peter, and vicar of Christ on earth!
Taking the name Leo XIV, the Roman Pontiff, as the successor of Saint Peter, is the “perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the Bishops and the whole company of the faithful” (Lumen Gentium, no. 23). As our loving shepherd and spiritual guide, Pope Leo XIV’s ministry is to orient Christ’s flock toward the kingdom of heaven, where the citizenship of Christians truly lies (cf. Philippians 3:20-21).
Pope Leo XIV was born in Chicago, Illinois, on 14 September 1955. As a member of the Order of Saint Augustine (O.S.A.), in which he held various leadership positions, he dedicated many years of service to the Augustinian missions in Peru as a priest and seminary professor. He was eventually appointed Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, by Pope Francis. As a Bishop of the Church in Peru, he served as Vice President and member of the Permanent Council of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him as Prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops and elevated him to the College of Cardinals. Pope Leo XIV holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Commenting on this historic moment, the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary, asks the faithful to embrace the new Pope: “I encourage the faithful in Canada to unite with their local Ordinary in welcoming Pope Leo XIV as our new Holy Father, and to remember him daily in their prayers so that he may embark on his Petrine ministry with fidelity, confident that the Lord will help him.”
As the Church in Canada rejoices today with Christians throughout the world, let us remember our new Holy Father in prayer, that despite the considerable weight of his role and responsibilities, his yoke may be easy and his burden light (cf. Matthew 11:28-20).
May God grant strength and wisdom to our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV, and may Mary, Mother of the Church, be ever at his side, guarding him with her mantle of protection.
The annual clergy retreat for the New Westminster Eparchy has begun. Most Reverend Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski blessed the beginning of the retreat and invited the faithful to pray for their priests during this special time of spiritual renewal.
The first spiritual reflection was offered by Father John Sianchuk, CSsR, who focused on the meaning of the Jubilee Year as a time of God’s mercy, hope, and love.
Fr. John emphasized that true hope does not come from ourselves but from the Risen Christ, who gives us the promise of eternal life. This faith enables believers to face even death with courage, knowing that death is not the end.
“Let us feel the grace and presence of Christ. Come to Him and trust in Him — when we are with God, He can transform even what is evil into good,” Fr. John encouraged.
Christopher Chiu who is a lay spiritual director and a member of Holy Dormition Byzantine Parish in Richmond, was ordained to Minor Orders on 4 May 2025. Christopher and his family have been active members for several years now of the Eastern Catholic Church in Richmond, BC where Fr. Richard Soo, SJ is the parish priest. After a period of discernment and having begun a series of courses in Eastern Catholic theology, history and in the Eastern Studies stream at the University of St. Michael's College, not at Newman Theological College.
The ordination took place at Holy Eucharist Cathedral in New Westminster just prior to the first Divine Liturgy at 9:00 AM. Most Rev. Michael Kwiatkowski, the Bishop of the Eparchy of New Westminster, told the congregation that Christopher’s ordination “doubled” the amount of joy that the parish and the entire eparchy was experiencing today, together with the elation as we continue to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection! The eparchial Protosyncellus, Fr. Mykhailo Ozorovych, served as the Archdeacon while two other Subdeacons, Rev. Ryan J. Bjorgaard and Rev. Adrian Kopystynski, assisted their new ‘brother’-in-ministry throughout the morning services. Christopher’s wife Joyee and three daughters as well a number of fellow parishioners from Richmond and friends came to witness the ordination.
Subdeacon Christpher will continue to serve at the Byzantine Parish in Richmond, however now as an officially established/ordained Reader, Cantor, Candle-bearer (server) and Subdeacon.
As has been the tradition, the New Westminster Council #1283 of the Knights of Columbus hosts an annual Appreciation Dinner for Clergy and Religious at St. Peter’s Parish.
They also invite some members of the clergy and their families and religious Sisters from the Eparchy of New Westminster along with many other clergy and religious from the area. Some of the clergy of the Eparchy are actually members of the #1283 council, including Bishop Michael.
The evening provides a wonderful meal prepared by the Knights themselves and served by their highest ranking Knights. Special guests included the KofC State Deputy Herb Yang and his wife Clara as well as State Chaplain Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski. Worthy SD Herb Yang brought greetings to the event and Bishop Michael was asked to address the event as a member of the clergy himself. He mentioned the Vancouver festival tragedy and asked all to pray for the victims and, for their family and friends that now struggle with the aftermath. He also spoke of the upcoming Conclave to choose the next Pope for the Church. He said, that want to look past our own personal preferences and sometimes superficial and unimportant qualities that we might like to see in the Holy Father and ask the Lord to provide a good and holy leader according to the needs of the Church in our time according – above all – to the Will of God. We should have that same attitude with regard to priests and Sisters - we should want them especially to be sincerely dedicate to the Will of God for the good of His People and His Church. The rest will work out! He also encouraged all to encourage their sons and daughters, nieces and nephews to think about and pray about a vocation to religious life or to the priestly ministry.
The evening was also filled with fellowship and good will and a festive spirit. Every member of the clergy in attendance and every member of a religious community received a gift of appreciation by the “luck of the draw”. There were a variety of gifts from many donors, but all were a pleasure to receive.
The pleasure of the clergy and religious to be there was apparent, and the outpouring of love and appreciation on the part of the Knights and the many other guests toward their Priests, Deacons and Sisters - was also obvious. God bless the Knights for this tradition of appreciation and, God, bless our Clergy and Sisters and bless us with many more good vocations!
The Knights of the Columbus of the British Columbia and the Yukon held their annual State Convention at the Executive Hotel in Richmond from 25-27 April 2025. The general chair of the convention was the State Deputy Herb Yang who, in spite of suffering a cold, valiantly led all the events throughout the weekend. Among the special guests were State Deputies from Washington and Oregon as well as Supreme Director Rene Trevino from California.
The Convention began with a Eucharistic Divine Liturgy according to the Byzantine Ukrainian Rite led by State Chaplain Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski and clergy and singers from the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster. The territory of the Eparchy, coincidentally, encompasses British Columbia, the Yukon Territory and a portion of the Northwest Territories. Bishop Michael was joined by clergy from the Eparchy - the Protosyncellus Fr. Mykhailo Ozorovych, Vice-Chancellor Fr. Yuriy Sakvuk, Fr. Mykhailo Postoliuk and Subdeacon Adrian Kopystynski was also in attendance. Former State Chaplain, Journalist, Fr. Vincent Hawkswell also concelebrated. Fr. Ozozovych prepared an additional sheet of the liturgical “propers” for Friday of Bright Week and Easter hymns and a trio of singers from the Cathedral parish, Halyna, Volodymyr and Liubomyr led the singing. The Liturgy was beautiful. A big thank you is due to the BC&Y State Director for Evangelization and Faith Formation, Br. Jamey Guerreo who coordinated so much for the set up of the Chapel area for the Eucharistic Liturgies as well as the separate Blessed Sacrament Adoration Chapel on an upper floor. At this Liturgy, Bishop Michael spoke about the joy and glory of the Easter season, about the Church being a crossroads with the death of Pope Francis and the preparation to choose his successor to the “Chair of Peter”. He also spoke about the extraordinary opportunity that the Jubilee Year offers for personal conversion and spiritual renewal to reenergize us for the mandate of Evangelization of the world around us. Following the Divine Liturgy, the clergy and a cohort of Knights that formed the weekend’s Honour Guard, escorted our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament to the Adoration Chapel. The Adoration Chapel was open “24/7” and knights took turns keeping vigil so that Convention participants and their family members could visit anytime to spend time in prayer and meditation. Fr. Hawkswell conducted Benediction services in the mornings at 7:00 AM.
The following days, the morning Mass was concelebrated by Bishop Michael and other clergy, but with different main celebrants. On Saturday former State Chaplain Fr. Vincent Hawkswell was the main celebrant and homilist, with a large group of singers. Thomas Sunday, Divine Mercy Sunday, Bishop Stephen Jensen from Prince George was the main celebrant and homilist. A group of singers sailed from the capital city of British Columbia – Victoria, which is located on Vancouver Island. During the Sunday Mass, Bishop Stephen also addressed the tragic killing of festival-goers that took place the previous evening in Vancouver and led the congregation in prayer for the victims and their families.
The Friday evening program included a lengthy State Deputy’s report and other opening formalities. Later in the evening, several awards were issued then a social evening with top entertainment provided delegates and their wives and a wonderful opportunity to relax, socialize and get to know each other better.
Saturday was a full day of business meetings, reports, resolutions and strategy-planning. Several speakers also offered instructional and inspirational presentations on several of the Knights most prominent projects and programs.
During the day, the ‘Ladies’, the wives of the Knights that attend as well, hold a parallel event in another part of the convention centre – the Ladies Program and Luncheon. This is a morning and afternoon program of fascinating and helpful speakers as well as entertainment and great fellowship lunch. One of the speakers is traditionally the serving State Chaplain. This year, Bishop Michael, shared some highlights of his life and vocation journey and then accepted any questions from the gathering.
In the evening the traditional formal State Deputy’s Banquet was held in the main ballroom. There, the State Deputy hosted an amazing gala of fine food, yes, but also a fast-flowing and engaging program of speakers, awards and presentations. The keynote address was given by Supreme Director Rene Trevino from California. Elections for the new State Executive had taken place earlier in the day, so State Deputy Herb Yang also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to everyone who supported him and collaborated with him over the past two years. At a very moving moment, Br. Herb expressed his heartfelt thanks to his wife, Clara, who he acknowledged as his love and his most faithful supporter. Herb Yang was elected to the KofC Board of Directors in 2024, however, and will continue to serve as a Supreme Director into 2027.
As has been a tradition for some years now, the Knights of B.C.&.Y presented each of the seven bishops in their territory a financial donation toward their vocations and seminary efforts. Great appreciation was expressed by each of the Bishops who were able to attend the banquet and they spoke about the vocation and seminarian situation in each of their jurisdictions. An additional acknowledgement and presentation was made to Archbishop J. Michael Miller of Vancouver whose retirement had been announced and he will be leaving the area within a month or two. He has always been a supporter of the Knights and they wanted to show their appreciation.
Sunday morning, after the Mass, the Knights held their final full session and closing formalities. A few did not linger long as they had a long drive back or they needed to catch their flights back to their home councils – some in the far regions of the “State”. There was the long process of taking down and packing and carting away all the props and materials and paraphernalia. Yet everyone left with a great deal of satisfaction that they had participated in a very helpful and inspiring State Convention… and that they were all dedicated brothers in the greatest Catholic Men’s order throughout the world. Their work would continue and they would continue to accomplish great things for their Lord, His Church, His People.
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