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. He attended St. Vladimir’s College Minor Seminary in Roblin, Manitoba and he pursued studies at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto obtaining 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 professed perpetual vows in 1986 with the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer Yorkton Province. 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. 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 as 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. As a member of the CCCB (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops), he has served on the Doctrine Commission and currently on the Catechises & Evangelization Commission. As a member of the UGCC Synod he has been the Youth Liaison and has been asked to represent the Synod at the upcoming Papal Synod set for October 2018, focusing on the theme: “Youth Faith & Vocational Discernment”.  On Saturday, November 9, 2019, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed the Most Reverend Bryan Bayda CSsR, as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada while remaining Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy Saskatoon. On April 28, 2022, His Holiness Pope Frances appointed the Most Reverend Bryan Bayda CSsR as bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto and Eastern Canada. 

The motto he chose for his episcopacy is taken from Acts 1:8:  

10th Anniversary Celebration of Episcopal Ordination – June 2018