Biography of Bishop George Kolodziej SDS T he Fifth Bishop of Bunbury Bishop George Kolodziej SDS, born on 17 May 1968 in Dobra, Poland, has been the Superior of the Salvatorians in Australia since 16 October 2018. He was a member of various bodies including the Council of Catholic Religious Australia, the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Perth, and various other advisory committees in the Archdiocese of Perth, including Catholic Youth Ministry and Clergy Wellbeing. He was also a member of the advisory committee for Catholic School Parents. In addition to these responsibilities Bishop George Kolodziej also directed the Salvatorian Spirituality Centre in Perth and has served as a chaplain for Catholic Education Western Australia since January 2019.

Bishop George’s religious journey with the Salvatorians began when he entered the novitiate on 7 September 1987. He made his perpetual profession in the Society of the Divine Saviour (SDS) on 8 September 1992. He was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, Archbishop of Krakow, on 28 May 1994, in Trzebinia, Poland. Later that year, 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 in Western Australia. On 1 January 1996, he was appointed assistant priest of St. Anthony’s Parish in Greenmount and began working as a chaplain at Chisholm Catholic College 2 in 1997. He was elected Vice Superior of the Salvatorian Region of Australia on 1 December 1999.

In December 2000, Bishop George began ministry in the Diocese of Broken Bay, 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). He was active in youth ministry, organizing World Youth Day pilgrimages and serving on the Australian National World Youth Day Committee. He also held leadership roles, including as a member of the Council of Priests and the College of Consultors for the Diocese of Broken Bay. In 2017, he joined the Salvatorian Formation Commission and served as a spiritual father at the Salvatorian Formation House in Melbourne.

Bishop George holds master’s degrees in theology and pastoral care/ psychotherapy, along with a postgraduate diploma in addiction studies. His clinical work includes a number of years as a psychotherapist at a rehabilitation centre in the Central Coast of NSW, where he provided counselling and support to men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction, combining his pastoral and professional expertise to guide individuals towards healing and recovery.