(Città del Vaticano) – The Holy Father appointed today, Saturday 9 November 2019, Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of Toronto of the Ukrainian S.E. Bishop Bryan J. Bayda, C.SS.R., Bishop of Saskatoon of the Ukrainians.
Most Rev. Bryan Joseph Bayda, CSsR
Bryan Joseph Bayda was the third of six children entrusted by God to Joseph and Florence Bayda (Niedzielski) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on August 21, 1961. As a young boy in Saskatoon, he enjoyed lessons in music, numerous sports and had a newspaper route during his elementary school years at Bishop Murray School. Summers and weekends were spent at the farm near Aberdeen, Saskatchewan where his love for farming and the outdoors was nurtured. In 1979, upon completing four years of high school at St. Vladimir’s College Minor Seminary in Roblin, Manitoba, he pursued studies at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 1982 and a Master of Divinity in 1987. Further studies included a Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba in 1990 and a Diploma in Eastern Christian Theology from the Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies located in Ottawa, Ontario in 1997. He was accepted as a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Yorkton Province) when he professed perpetual vows in 1986. Bishop Basil Filevich ordained Deacon Bryan to the priesthood on May 30, 1987 at Ss. Peter & Paul’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Saskatoon. He accepted various assignments with the Redemptorists such as teaching and directing the minor seminary high school St. Vladimir’s College, Formation Director of Redeemer House, the major seminary of the Ukrainian Redemptorists in Toronto and pastoral ministry in various parishes throughout Western Canada. Most recently, he was pastor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. After 21 years of priestly ministry on May 2, 2008, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, appointed Father Bryan as the fifth Bishop of the Eparchy of Saskatoon for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Canada. He was ordained a bishop on June 27, 2008 at St. George’s Cathedral in Saskatoon by Metropolitan Archbishop Lawrence Huculak, OSBM of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg, Bishop Michael Wiwchar, CSsR (now Emeritus of the Eparchy of Saskatoon) and a close friend Bishop Ken Nowakowski, Eparch of the Eparchy of New Westminster.
