Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski becomes Diocesan Bishop of the UGCC London Diocese
On January 15, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, who previously led the New Westminster Diocese of Canada, as the head of the Diocese of the Holy See of the UGCC in London.
Fr. Kenneth Nowakowski was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the New Westminster Diocese by Bishop Davyd Motiuk, Diocesan Bishop in Edmonton, Canada.
Background reference
Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski was born on May 16, 1958, in Canada. He studied at St. Thomas Aquinas Pontifical University. After being ordained on August 19, 1989, in the Saskatoon Diocese of Canada, he returned to Rome. He studied at the Faculty of Canon Law at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. In 1991, together with His Beatitude Cardinal Myroslav-Ivan Lubachivsky, he arrived in Ukraine, where he served as Vice-Chancellor of the Supreme Archbishop. He became one of the founders of the Ukrainian branch of “Caritas”.
After returning to his homeland in 2001, Fr. Kenneth Nowakowski was the rector of the Holy Spirit Ukrainian Seminary in Ottawa, and since July 2006 - the Chancellor of the Saskatoon Diocese in Canada. On June 1, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Diocesan Bishop of New Westminster. His episcopal consecration and enthronement took place on July 24 that year.
London Diocese
Seven years ago, on January 18, 2013, Pope Benedict XVI elevated the Apostolic Exarchate to the diocese for Ukrainian residents of the Byzantine Rite in the United Kingdom, granting it the title of Eparchy of the Blessed Virgin Mary in London. The Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in England and Wales was established in 1957, and in 1968 its jurisdiction extended to entire Great Britain.
The first bishop appointed by Benedict XVI was Hlib Lonchyna, who was previously appointed Administrator of the vacant residence of the UGCC Diocese of St. Volodymyr by Pope Francis in January 2019. On September 1, the Pope accepted Lonchyna’s abdication of his position of the Diocese bishop of the UGCC Eparchy of the Holy Family and Apostolic Visitor for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Ireland.
