Bishop-elect George Kolodziej SDS will be ordained and installed as the Fifth Bishop of Bunbury today, in a ceremony to be livestreamed on the Bunbury Diocese’s YouTube channel.
The episcopal ordination will take place at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Bunbury, Western Australia, at 9.30am AWST.
Pope Francis appointed the Salvatorian priest as Bunbury’s next bishop on January 6.
Bishop-elect Kolodziej, 56, was born in Dobra, Poland, and has been the Superior of the Salvatorians in Australia since October 2018.
In an interview with Perth Archdiocese’s publication The Record shortly after his appointment, Bishop-elect Kolodziej spoke about his vocation, his homeland, challenges and his experience in the field of psychology.
His religious journey with the Salvatorians began when he entered the novitiate in 1987. He made his perpetual profession in 1992 and was ordained a priest in 1994, shortly before being sent to Australia.
“Joining the Salvatorians was my response to God’s call to serve others and proclaim the Gospel with joy and hope. My early years in the order were a time of intense spiritual and intellectual formation, which shaped my priestly ministry,” Bishop-elect Kolodziej said.
“From the beginning, I aspired to be a tool in God’s hands, ready to serve with joy wherever I was sent.
“When I reflect on this now, I’m reminded of what Pope Francis says in Evangelii Gaudium: ‘We are all called to be missionary disciples. We cannot remain in comfortable positions; we must go to the peripheries of the world, where Christ’s presence is needed’.”
Watch the livestream here: Bunbury Diocese YouTube Channel
FULL STORY
Episcopal Ordination and Installation of The Most Reverend George Kolodziej SDS (Facebook/ACBC)
Church welcomes appointment of new Bishop of Bunbury (ACBC Media Blog)
My relationship with Jesus must be the foundation of all I do,” says new Bunbury Bishop (The Record)
