Bishop of New Westminster (Ukrainian)
Fr. Kwiatkowski was born on 21 November 1961 in Hamiota, Manitoba and grew up in Brandon. He attended high school at Redemptorist Father’s St. Vladimir College in Roblin. In 1980, he undertook his studies at the Pontifical Ukrainian Seminary of St. Josaphat in Rome. After completing his degree in philosophy and theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, he pursued studies in canon law at the Pontifical Oriental Institute. On 14 September 1985, was ordained to the Diaconate in Roblin, Manitoba by Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk, C.Ss.R. A year later, on 15 July 1986, the feast of Saint Volodymyr, he was ordained a priest in Brandon, Manitoba by Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk. He was the named Associate Pastor at Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Winnipeg, a post which he held from 1986 to 1992. In 1992, Fr. Kwiatkowski returned to the Pontifical Oriental Institute (PIO) as he continued work toward a Licentiate and Doctorate in Eastern Canon Law. During his studies, he served as pastor at the Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Manchester, England, while also serving the Ukrainian communities in Rome and Naples. From 1997, Fr. Kwiatkowski served for three years as Chancellor of the Patriarchal Curia of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lviv. During his stay in Lviv, he also served as the Spiritual Director at Lviv Theological Academy. In 2000, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, “The Role of the Laity in Church Governance,” at he Pontifical Oriental Institute (PIO). He went on to become Chancellor of the Patriarchal Curia of Lviv, and served as Judge and head of the Major Archbishopric Tribunal. He served as Vice-Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, taught courses in canon law and directed the University’s Department of Pastoral Life for six years. From 2002-2006, he became the Vice-Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. He then became a Chaplain at the Lviv Military Academy for five years. From 2006 to 2010, he served as Spiritual Director of the Holy Spirit Seminary in Ottawa. Fr. Kwiatkowski has served as the Chancellor of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg from 1 August 2014. He represented the Archeparchy on the Patriarchal Ukrainian Greek Pastoral Council since its establishment in 2019 in Ukraine. From August 2010 -2021, he undertook parish ministry at Holy Eucharist Parish in Winnipeg. He was a representative in the Canadian Federation of Presbyteral Councils, for which he served a term as National President. In August 1 2021, Father Michael Kwiatkowski was appointed Pastor of Blessed Virgin Mary Parish. He served on the Winnipeg Tri-Diocesan Pro-Life Committee as well as the Tri-Diocesan Prison Ministry Committee. He was State Chaplain for the Manitoba Knights of Columbus from 2016-2019.