Bishop-Elect Smolinski was born on September 10, 1972. He was ordained a priest on July 5, 2003. He completed primary and secondary education at Greater Saskatoon Catholic schools (Bishop Pocock School and Holy Cross High School) finishing in 1990.
He obtained a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1994. Bishop-Elect Smolinski obtained a Master of Divinity degree in 2002 from the University of St. Michael's College through the Faculty of Theology.
He continued studies to earn a Certificate in Eastern Christian Studies in 2023 at the University of St. Paul/Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies.
He worked with youth as Youth Ministry Coordinator for the Edmonton Eparchy (1994-1996). A few years later, he served as the assistant pastor at St. Joseph Ukrainian Church in Winnipeg (2003-2005). He worked as director at The Welcome Home (Redemptorist Inner-City Mission) in Winnipeg from 2015 to 2019.
Bishop-Elect Smolinski was pastor at Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church Saskatoon (2015-2019). He also served as the Extraordinary Provincial Council Member and Ordinary Provincial Council Member in the former Redemptorist Province of Yorkton and Consultor, Eparchy of Saskatoon (2015-2019).
He worked as coordinator of the Yorkton region (Province of Canada) and assistant pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Saskatoon from 2019 to 2022.
Bishop-Elect Smolinski was elected provincial superior of the Redemptorist Province of Canada on November 9, 2022.
His enthronement as Bishop of the Eparchy will be announced at a later date. Bishop-Elect Smolinski will replace the current apostolic administrator, the Most Rev. Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak, O.S.B.M., Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg and Metropolitan of Canada.
content adapted from a Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops news release
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