Saint Joseph was certainly close to God, open and attentive to all that God asked of him, no matter how confusing or daunting God’s plan for him seemed to be,” Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President and Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth SDB has said in a poignant homily at the ordination and installation of Salvatorian priest Fr George Kolodziej as the fifth Bishop of Bunbury.
Bishop George was ordained and installed at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Bunbury, on March 19, on the Solemnity of Saint Joseph. The Diocese of Bunbury, which covers the south-western parts of Western Australia, spans an area one and half times that of England.
Joining Archbishop Costelloe as co-consecrators was Bunbury Bishop Emeritus Gerard Holohan and fellow Salvatorian Port Pirie Bishop Karol Kulczycki SDS.
More than 19 fellow Bishops from across Australia, including Perth Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, Geraldton Bishop Michael Morrissey and Broome Bishop Tim Norton were also present.
Also present for the occasion was Apostolic Nuncio Charles Balvo, who presented the Papal Bull.
The whole Bunbury Catholic community came together for the occasion, including clergy, seminarians, acolytes, altar servers, musicians and choir members, Salvatorian priests from across Australia, representatives from Catholic Education Western Australia Ltd and Catholic Religious Australia.
Continuing his homily Archbishop Costelloe SDB highlighted that Bishop George’s middle name is Joseph.
“Perhaps today, as we celebrate the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, we might look to him as a model of this tender and compassionate presence to others, a model especially, though not only, for our soon-to-be Bishop George,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“Saint Joseph was certainly close to God, open and attentive to all that God asked of him, no matter how confusing or daunting God’s plan for him seemed to be.
“When he awoke from his troubling dreams, the scriptures tell us, he did what the angel told him, acting decisively and courageously.
“Bishop George has done the very same: when he ‘awoke’ – that is when he recovered from the shock of (Apostolic Nuncio) Archbishop Balvo’s phone call – he did what the Lord was asking, through the request of Pope Francis. He said yes to the Pope’s invitation to become your bishop,” Archbishop Costelloe continued.
As part of the episcopal ordination, each parish representative presented soil from their region as a symbol of unity, which was then presented to the new Bishop.
Bishop George, 56, was born in Dobra, Poland, and has been the Superior of the Salvatorians in Australia since October 2018.
He directed the Salvatorian Spirituality Centre in Perth and is a member of the Council of Catholic Religious Australia, as well as serving as a chaplain for Catholic Education Western Australia.
Ordained to the priesthood by in 1994 by Krakow Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, he was sent to the Australian region of the Salvatorians, where he undertook pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Perth and the Diocese of Bunbury.
Having served in the parish of Greenmount and Chisholm Catholic College, he was elected Vice Superior of the Salvatorian Region of Australia in December 1999.
In December 2000, Fr George began ministry in the Diocese of Broken Bay (NSW), serving as school chaplain at St Leo’s Catholic College (2001-2008), assistant priest at Pymble Parish (2001-2003), East Gosford Parish (2003-2008), and later Parish Priest of Pittwater Parish (2008–2018).
Continuing his homily, Archbishop Costelloe also spoke about Pope Francis’ teachings on the essential qualities of a bishop, emphasising closeness to God, brother bishops, priests, and the people of God as foundational for effective ministry.
“Sometimes he will be in the midst of his flock, rejoicing in the faith and commitment of his fellow disciples and affirming them in their lives and ministries,” Archbishop Costelloe explained.
“And sometimes he will be at the rear of the flock, encouraging those who are struggling, uncertain, and even a little lost.
“But always he will be with his flock, reminding them that it is the Lord Jesus whom we all follow and to whom we all seek to be faithful. It will be the bishop’s task and his privilege, in other words, always to point to Christ, never to himself,” he said.
Archbishop Costelloe concluded by noting that as Pope Francis has underlined by his decision to include Saint Joseph by name in all our Eucharistic Prayers, Saint Joseph is close to the Church, the living body of Christ, the beloved family of God.
