New Bishop of Hamilton in Bermuda

W. SpiewakPope Francis has nominated the former Provincial of our Polish Province, Fr. Wieslaw Spiewak, CR, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda, replacing the retiring Bishop Robert Kurtz, C.R.

This nomination represents an historical occasion especially for the Polish Province, since Fr. Wes is the first member in the Province's history to be ordained a bishop.

In this new period of Fr. Wes's service in the Church, we pray for an outpouring of the graces of the Risen Lord, so that he may joyfully and courageously preach God's unconditional love to his people and strengthen them in faith and hope.

At 52 years of age, Wes Spiewak is a native of Cracow, Poland, where he was raise in the neighborhood of Wola Duchacka, in Resurrection of the Lord Parish, administered by our Congregation. He entered the Community in 1983 and finished his philosophy studies at the Vincentian Theological Institute at Cracow. He was sent to Rome for his theology, where he finished his studies at the Gregorian University. He was then ordained a priest on May 19, 1990 (thus recently celebrating his 25th Anniversary as a priest).

His priestly ministry has included first two years as Vice-Rector of the Minor Seminary in Poznan, followed by time as Provincial Secretary and Vocation Director. He then specialized in Spiritual Theology at the Salesianum University in Rome beginning in 1997, and at the same time served as pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Capranica Palestrina, outside of Rome (near Mentorella), and simultaneously serving as Postulator General of the Congregation for our causes of canonization.

In 2008 he was elected Provincial of our Polish Province, and office to which we was re-elected, finishing his two terms on May 30 of this year. Since 2013 he was also a member of the President's Council of the Conference of Major Superiors in Poland.

The solemn celebration of the Episcopal Ordination of Fr. Wieslaw Spiewak will take place on October 1, 2015, in the Cathedral of St. Therese in Hamilton, Bermuda, on the patronal feast of the Cathedral and the Diocese.

The Diocese of Hamilton includes all of the small archipelago of Bermuda. The local church was established as an Apostolic Prefecture on February 19, 1953, by Pope Pius XII, under the Archdiocesan Administration of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Bermuda was elevated to an Apostolic Vicariate in 1956 and was established as the Diocese of Hamilton on June 12, 1967 by Blessed Pope Paul VI.

Posted on Jun 2015,