Homilies

Occasional Homilies

A Christmas Message

Year of Connectedness

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ

Christmas is a time of year when we are given the opportunity to reflect on the true significance of our lives. Though the birth of Christ is true for us every day, at Christmas we pause to contemplate God’s Incarnation more deeply. In so doing, let us together celebrate that God chose to be close to us! To enter our time and space. To be one among us. And to invite us to see Him in that extraordinary image of Christmas: God incarnate in a helpless baby.

In this Year of Connectedness, we are reminded that Christmas is a season of renewing and cherishing our relationships. In a world where we are increasingly isolated through business, personal struggles, and technology, connection is more vital than ever. Christmas invites us to slow down, to reflect, to speak honestly from the heart, and give thanks to those whose presence has shaped our lives. In doing so, we marvel again at what God has done.

Over two thousand years ago, God entered fully into our humanity, choosing to dwell among us. He showed us that His love is unrestricted, total, and complete. God got “down to earth” in Jesus to meet us exactly where we are. And even now, whatever our circumstances, God continues to choose to get “down to earth” with us, to abide with us, and offer us the strength of His love for our life’s journey. He comes as a friend, as a companion – the One who saves us from whatever threatens to overwhelm us.

We may turn our backs on God, but God never turns His back on us. We may reject Him, but He never rejects us. We may say “no” to Him, but He always says “yes” to us. Again and again, God enters the depths of our lives to show us a love that never abandons, never forsakes, and never gives up.

In the Roman Empire, the early Church developed a reputation for hospitality, particularly for those who were sick, poor or hungry. Where much of the rest of the world shunned and excluded, the Church chose to come near to those who were suffering and in need. Even when it was risky, messy, or unpopular, God’s people chose to be close.

The work of the early Church echoes the work of God at Christmas. God chooses to be near to us in our lives, he accepts us as we are, and loves us out of pain and confusion into hope and wholeness. No wonder so many of our Christmas hymns are hymns of gratitude!

If we believe in the mystery of the Incarnation, then we must never forget to say “thank you” to God.
Thank you for coming in Jesus to save us.
Thank you for the freedom, hope, and joy You give each day.
Thank you for strength for the present and hope for the future.
Thank you for revealing Yourself in Jesus, who is with us now and forever.

As your bishop, I pray that this Christmas renews your sense of connectedness—to God, to one another, and to the mission entrusted to our diocesan family. May the peace of Christ fill your homes, the joy of the shepherds brighten your hearts, and the hope of the Magi guide your steps in the coming year.

Wishing you and your loved ones a blessed and grace-filled Christmas.

With my prayers and blessing,

Most Rev George Kolodziej SDS
Bishop of Bunbury

December 2025

MAKE YOUR HOME WITH CHRIST

 

AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE

General Secretariat

Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry

5 December 2025

 

Dear young people of the Church in Australia

Peace be with you!

We encountered the joy and witness of our young Church at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Melbourne.

I have been encouraged by your enthusiasm and witness to Jesus Christ, our friend, who accompanies us along the journey of life.

We worshipped and prayed together, listened to one another, deepened our faith, and met new friends from across our great country.

I’m sure there are stories and reflections you will continue to share. By sharing our experience of God’s love with others, we participate with God in sharing His love with the world. This is the evangelising mission of the Gospel!

We now turn to our local communities, embracing our call to be missionary disciples. Let us share our joy as we prepare for World Youth Day 2027 in Korea and the International Eucharistic Congress 2028 in Sydney.

I invite all young people of Australia to make their home with Christ and to remain in Him, the true Vine (John 15:5). To remain is to dwell. As we do, we draw life from Him daily, and when we live His word, love, and Spirit, we bear fruit. When we are apart from God, we wither.

In our world wounded by division and disconnection, we can experience isolation and hopelessness. When we are at home with Christ we can overcome isolation and hopelessness because we are one with the One.

As Pope Leo XIV shared in his video message to us, “I encourage you to build networks and friendships with one another and work together to build up the Kingdom of God in your local areas.”

Friends, with this confidence in our connectedness, share your home in Christ in your friendships, families, and communities. Commit to prayer and service of others, especially those most in need. There you will discover the expansive and exciting vision for your life that God has set before you. There you will discover a life full of joy (John 15:11).

Let us abide in Christ, who is our source and life, and entrust ourselves to the maternal heart of Mary, who always leads us closer to Jesus, her Son.

In Christ, our Life and our Hope

 

Bishop George Kolodziej SDS DD
Delegate for Youth – Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry
Bishop of Bunbury

Pastoral Letter for 2026

 

‘Connected in Christ, Walking Together as One’

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ

As we begin a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent, I am pleased to announce a new diocesan theme for 2026:

“Connected in Christ, Walking Together as One.”

This theme will guide us throughout the coming year: shaping our prayer, reflection, and mission as a diocesan family.

Remaining in the Vine

Our theme is grounded in the words of Jesus which we find in John’s Gospel: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Here, Jesus speaks to His disciples on the night before His passion. His words can be understood as a farewell and a promise at the same time. Jesus tells us that He is the true vine and we – His disciples – the branches. Our true life comes only from Him: the fruitfulness of our lives is the result of remaining in His love.

I have said before and it is worth repeating – this metaphor is close to home for us blessed as we are with so many beautiful vineyards in the southwest!

The Greek word meno, translated in this part of John as “remain”, suggests a lasting dwelling, abiding with someone. To abide with those we love is to dwell with them. To abide with Christ is to dwell in Him. As we do so, we draw life from Him daily, just as the branches of a healthy vineyard draw their life from the vine. When we live as part of His Word, His love, and His Spirit, we become fruitful. When we disconnect, we wither.

In this Gospel, connection is not optional. It is the basis of Christian life. And the fruit that comes from this abiding connection in Christ is joy: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

The Human Desire for Connection

We are created for connection. Today’s psychology echoes this truth. When we experience belonging, support, and communion, we flourish. This profound human truth is also true for our whole planet – as Pope Francis said in Laudato Si’ “all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.”1

The opposite is also true. When we become disconnected through loneliness or isolation, or when we disconnect ourselves through resentment or selfishness, a core part of ourselves goes missing. We become restless and wounded. In his recent Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Leo reflected on this kind of loneliness and isolation as a form of poverty. It is possible to have all of our material needs met, but if we find ourselves “in a condition of personal or social weakness or fragility” we experience a form of poverty.2

Many of us experience profound disconnection today – whether by circumstances outside of our control, or through our own choices. What a strange irony that when our world offers so many forms of “connection” so many of us are disconnected from what matters most. The Gospel reminds us that the deepest connection is not digital, but spiritual! Connection with Christ, with one another, and with the mission our loving God has entrusted to us – these are the antidotes to all isolation!

I invite us all to reflect on how this theme can inspire our journey together in the coming year.

Living Connection in Our Diocese

First, let us see our diocesan family as one living vine! As Pope Leo has said, “Christ is our Saviour and in him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich variety of our languages, cultures and experiences.”3

Parishes with Parishes – No parish stands alone. We are called to collaborate, support, and pray for each other, especially between neighbouring communities.

Parishes and Schools Together – Schools are not separate from parish life, but part of the one mission of the Church. Together, they are called to form disciples, nurture faith, and witness to Christ.

Young People Connected – We are called to create spaces where youth find belonging, purpose, and joy in Christ. They are not the “future Church” but vital branches of the vine today.

Families as Domestic Churches – Families are the first place of connection, where faith and love are passed on. Strengthening family life strengthens the whole Church.

Reaching the Margins – A commitment to true connection actively seeks to extend the nourishment of the vine to those most easily forgotten: the poor, the elderly, the migrants, the sick, and those who feel excluded. In Dilexi ti Pope Leo reminds us of the centrality of this option for the poor in our identity as Christians.4

Parishes with other Christian communities praying together – United by our common faith in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and our profession of the same Creed, let us actively seek out opportunities to build connections with our Christian neighbours of different denominations. What we have in common is so much more than what divides us!5

People of other faiths and all people of good will – We believe that God works in the hearts of all people, which presents an invitation for us to connect, to nourish and to be nourished by others in our community. Let us walk together with those who search for truth and justice in their hearts and in our world.

Walking Together as One

When a vine and its branches are healthy, they grow. This is true for us as a church in Bunbury! Our theme sends us on mission. To be Connected in Christ means we cannot walk our journey of faith alone. To be Walking Together as One means that as a Diocese we move forward united – in worship, in service, and in witness to the world.

Our synodal journey has taught us that listening, dialogue, and shared mission are at the heart of the Church today. Walking together is how we live the Gospel in our time.

Concrete Pastoral Invitations for 2026

To put this theme into practice across the year, I invite every parish, school, and community to:

  1. Deepen their time with Word of God, with a particular focus on this part of John’s gospel. Reflect on John 15:1–11 in homilies, school liturgies, prayer groups, and parish missions.
  2. Parish-to-Parish Connection. Organise at least one joint liturgical celebration, pilgrimage, or outreach activity with a neighbouring parish.
  3. Parish-School Partnership. Strengthen visible bonds between parish and school through shared feast days, shared service projects, and shared prayer events.
  4. Youth Connection. Create opportunities for youth from different parishes to gather at diocesan youth days, pilgrimages and service missions.
  5. Families as Witnesses. Encourage family-based prayer initiatives and service activities
  6. Outreach to the Margins. Identify and connect with groups at risk of isolation: the lonely, the sick the elderly and the new migrants.
  7. Prayer for Unity. Include in every parish’s Prayers of the Faithful a regular petition for diocesan unity and mission.
  8. Connection with our Community. Identify one opportunity to engage and strengthen relationships with another Christian community, a community of different faith, or others of good will in your area.

Preparing for the future

In the coming year, our Diocese will enter a time of formation and renewal within our parishes and schools in a synodal way. This journey will prepare us for the Diocesan Assembly to be held in August 2026. My prayer is that this will be a grace-filled opportunity to deepen our sense of connectedness and to rediscover the newness that the Spirit continually brings to our Church.

As we walk together in faith, may Christ ever new and ever present lead us forward with hope, opening our hearts to new possibilities for our communities and for our shared mission in the world.

Conclusion

Dear friends, as we begin this liturgical year, let us remain – let us abide – in Christ the Vine. If we abide in Him, our diocesan family will grow stronger, more connected, and more fruitful. Let us trust the Holy Spirit to guide us, and let us walk with Mary, Mother of the Church, who always leads us closer to Christ her Son.

May 2026 be a year when we truly live our calling:

Connected in Christ, Walking Together as One.

In Christ, our Life and our Hope

+ George M

Most Rev George Kolodziej SDS
Bishop of Bunbury

30th November 2025, 1st Sunday of Advent

Footnotes

  1. Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ (2013), no. 42. ↩
  2. Pope Leo XIV, Dilexi ti (2025), no. 9. ↩
  3. Pope Leo XIV, Message to the Pontifical Mission Societies, 22nd May 2025, https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2025/may/documents/20250522-pom.html ↩
  4. Pope Leo XIV, Dilexi te, see specialty no. 26. ↩
  5. See International Theological Commission, Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour 1700th anniversary of the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, 325-2025, no. 43. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/cti_documents/rc_cti_doc_20250403_1700-nicea_en.html ↩

Letter to the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Bunbury on the Election of Pope Leo XIV

Letter to the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Bunbury on the Election of Pope Leo XIV

Dear brothers in the ordained ministry, sisters and brothers in Christ,

Habemus Papam! We have a Pope!

It is with great joy that we, the Catholic community of the diocese of Bunbury, celebrate the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost OSA as Pope Leo XIV. Cardinal Robert Prevost OSA, a member of the Order of Saint Augustine (known as ‘The Augustinians’), was elected as Pope by the Conclave on 8 May 2025.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, on 14 September 1955, a significant part of his ministry has been in Peru where he served as a parish priest, seminary teacher and as a bishop. Prior to his election as Pope, he served as the Prior General for the Augustinians (2001 – 2013); Bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru (2015 – 2023); President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America (2023 – 2025) and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops (2023 – 2025). In 2023 he was created a Cardinal of the Catholic Church by Pope Francis. The context of Pope Leo’s life, and ministry, is significant. Pope Leo’s life, experiences of leadership and previous ministries have had a global reach and outlook, seeing him live and minister in both North and South America, as well as internationally.

His first words as Pope were “peace be with you”, and he used the word “peace” nine times in the short speech that followed. This peace, he said, is “a disarming and humble and preserving peace. It comes from God. God, who loves all of us, is without any limits or conditions.”

Which leads to welcome!

Pope Leo has already given us an insight into the Church he will lead:

“We have to look together how to be a missionary Church, building bridges, dialogue, always open to receiving with open arms for everyone, like this square, open to all, to all who need our charity, our presence, dialogue, love.”

Please join with me in praying for Pope Leo so that, as our Pope, he will draw us all nearer to the love of God, and bring forth God’s love and peace to a world that sorely needs it.

Accompanying my letter to you, I offer the statement released earlier today by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, Archbishop of Perth and President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, sharing the joyous news of Pope Leo’s election.

Let us, in the diocese of Bunbury, join with our new Pope in pursuing his sacred mission of service to the universal church.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Fr George Kolodziej SDS
Bishop of Bunbury

 

Read the press release

Letter to the Diocese of Bunbury regarding the Death of Pope Francis

We, in the diocese of Bunbury, unite with the people of God across Australia, and around the world, in both sadness and grief at the news of Pope Francis’ death at 7.35am (Rome time) on Monday, 21 April 2024 at the Casa Santa Marta, Vatican City. Pope Franics has now returned to our Father’s loving and eternal embrace.

This is difficult news, particularly in the season of Easter, and hope it promises. Even so, Pope Francis’ last words to our Church provide consolation:

The resurrection of Jesus is indeed the basis of our hope. For in the light of this event, hope is no longer an illusion. Thanks to Christ — crucified and risen from the dead — hope does not disappoint! Spes non confundit! (cf. Rom 5:5). That hope is not an evasion, but a challenge; it does not delude, but empowers us (Francis, Urbi et orbi, 20th April 2025).

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis lived from this hope. From it, he challenged all of us to remember God’s proximity to us, calling each of us to live the joy of the Gospel – especially among those in need and those on the peripheries.

In one of his first interviews, Pope Francis referred to the Church as a field hospital after battle: close to those who are wounded and ready to respond. This is a Church that goes out, a missionary Church! He invited us to build bridges, not walls. He asked us to think of God’s creation as our common home, reminding us that care for each other also requires care for our natural world.

Pope Francis opened the doors and windows of the Church, famously proclaiming at World Youth Day in Lisbon 2023: “todos, todos, todos” – in the Church is a place for “everyone, everyone, everyone”. As we grieve Pope Francis’ death, let us also commit to continuing his legacy, and pray that the Spirit will continue to blow through the doors and windows that he opened for the Church.

On a deeply personal note, I wish to express my own heartfelt gratitude to Pope Francis.

It was under his pontificate that I was called and entrusted with the mission to serve the Church as a bishop. I remain forever grateful for the confidence he placed in me and for his example of pastoral leadership. This example continues to shape the way I seek to serve each of you across our diocese of Bunbury.

Yours in Christ,

 


Most Rev. George Kolodziej SDS DD
Bishop of Bunbury

 

Vatican News release:
Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday at age of 88 – Vatican News

 

Australian Catholics mourn Pope Francis

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB, says Pope Francis will be remembered as a man of simplicity, humility and compassion.

Pope Francis, born Jorge Maria Bergoglio, became the first non-European pope in centuries, the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit pope and the first to take the name Francis when he was elected to succeed Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.

“The sad news of the death of Pope Francis, while it does not come as a surprise given his age and his declining health in recent years, will be received with great sadness by Catholics, and by people of good will, all over the world,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

 

“When Cardinal Bergoglio appeared on the balcony overlooking Saint Peter’s Square on 14 March 2013, and was introduced to the world as the newly-elected Pope Francis, his simplicity and humility set the tone for a papacy which would be marked by an emphasis on the mercy and compassion of God, and on the Church’s vocation to be a sign and bearer of that merciful love in an increasingly troubled world.

 

“His famous description of the Church as a field hospital where wounds could be healed and hearts could be warmed was a call to a renewal of the Church’s life and mission, grounded in a return to Christ as the source and inspiration of everything the Church sought to do and to be.

 

“The 12 years of the papacy of Pope Francis were not without controversy. His constant call that the Church should be open to everybody caused some to fear that he was putting at risk the integrity of the Church’s faith and moral teaching.

 

“He himself insisted, however, that he was ‘a loyal son of the Church’ who, in recognising his own sinfulness, had come to understand that it was the task of the Church, as it was the task of Christ, to embrace people in their brokenness and fragility and lead them to healing and wholeness.”

 

Archbishop Costelloe got to know Pope Francis better over the past couple of years in his roles as president of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia and as a key figure in supporting the Synod on Synodality.

Parishes around the country will hold special memorial Masses for Pope Francis in the coming days. Information on those commemorations can be found on local parish and cathedral websites.

“While the Catholic Church, and indeed the whole world, will now turn its attention to the election of a new pope, faithful Catholics will also be praying for Pope Francis, that the mercy and compassion of God which he proclaimed to the world will now embrace him as he enters into the mystery of eternal life,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

 

“They will also join with so many others around the world who will remember with gratitude the simple goodness of a humble man who was ready to make of his whole life a gift of love and service, not just for his fellow Catholics but for everybody.

 

“May he rest in peace.”

The process of the election of a new pope will unfold in the coming days and weeks.

Cardinal Mykola Bychok CSsR, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul, will be the sole attendee from Australia at the conclave.

Australian Church and civic representatives are expected to travel to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral.

The Vatican News release can be found here:

Pope Francis has died on Easter Monday at age of 88 – Vatican News

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent 2025

One of the deepest struggles of the human heart is the fear of being alone

feeling abandoned in suffering,

unnoticed in pain or unheard in prayer.

Many people ask, “Where is God in my struggles? Does God see what I’m going through?”

Today’s readings give us a powerful answer: God is near to us always. He is not distant or indifferent. He sees, He hears, and He walks with us.

As I said last Wednesday during my ordination, I want to repeat again today that the Lord is near to us. He is present in the breathtaking coastline, the red earth, the forests, and in every living creature. But most of all, the Lord is near in His people—each and every one, created in God’s image and likeness. The Lord is near in our joys, our hopes, our griefs, and our sufferings.

In the Eucharist, Jesus is truly present, feeding us with His own Body and Blood.

In Confession, He does not turn us away but welcomes us with mercy.

In Prayer, when we cry out, He hears us.

In Our Community, God is present in those who love, support, and guide us.

And most profoundly, God loves us—just as we are.

The story of Moses and the burning bush in today’s first reading is one of the most profound revelations of who God is. God says: “I have seen the misery of my people… I have heard them crying out… and I am concerned about their suffering. So, I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:7-8).

 

This passage tells us about our God who is not distant but deeply involved in our lives. He is a God who sees, hears, is moved with compassion, and walks with us. God is not indifferent to human suffering. The Israelites had been in slavery for generations, and perhaps many had lost hope. But God saw their pain. This reminds us that God sees our struggles, our hidden wounds, our fears, and our challenges. Even when we feel forgotten, He watches over us with love. Just as He saw the Israelites in slavery, He sees those suffering today—those struggling with sin, injustice, broken relationships, and hardships. Because God sees suffering, we too must open our eyes to those in need around us.

God does not just see suffering; He listens. He hears the cries of the oppressed, the silent prayers of the broken-hearted, and the pleas of His people. Sometimes, we may feel like our prayers go unheard. But this passage reassures us that God listens, even when He seems silent. Psalm 34:17 echoes this truth: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles.”

God is not a passive observer. He is personally concerned about human suffering. His love is not abstract—it is compassionate, active, and deeply personal. He did this in the Old Testament by sending Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. He did this fully in Jesus Christ, who became man, walked among us, and saved us through His death and resurrection. He continues to act today through the Church, through people who bring justice, peace, and healing.

God’s purpose is not just to free His people from suffering but to lead them to a better life—the Promised Land. This is an image of our spiritual journey. God does not just rescue us from sin—He calls us into a new life of grace, holiness, and deeper relationship with Him. Our God is relational. This journey requires trust. Just as the Israelites had to follow God through the wilderness, we too must follow Him in faith, even when the path is difficult.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the barren fig tree. The owner wants to cut it down because it has not produced fruit, but the gardener pleads: “Leave it alone for one more year, and I will dig around it and fertilize it.”(Luke 13:8). This is a beautiful image of God’s patience and mercy. He does not abandon us when we fall short—He gives us time, nurturing us, helping us grow.

 

Maybe you feel distant from God. He is still near.

Maybe you’ve made mistakes. God still believes in you.

Maybe you feel unworthy of His love. He is still caring for you, like the gardener tending the fig tree.

Lent is a time to recognize this patience and respond to His call to conversion. He does not ask for perfection—He simply asks us to turn to Him, to trust Him, to let Him work in our lives. Pope Francis reminds us in Evangelii Gaudium: “The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness, and loneliness.”

God is not far—He is closer than we imagine.

Today, God speaks to each of us as He spoke to Moses: “I have seen, I have heard, I am with you.” As we continue this Lenten journey, let us open our hearts to Him. Trust in His presence. Rely on His mercy. Walk in His love.

“Lord, help us to recognize Your presence in our lives. Give us the grace to trust in You, knowing that You are always near.” Amen.

 

Bishop George Kolodziej SDS Ordination Address

Dear Friends,

“Rejoice in the Lord always.” My heart is full of rejoicing!

Thank You Bunbury!

As I take up this ministry of bishop, I am deeply honoured to be welcomed by so many of you today. We are on sacred ground. I acknowledge and pay my respects to the Wardandi Noongar people. Their elders, past and present, and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here with us today. I am deeply grateful to Archbishop Tim, who prepared and ordained me, and who led us so beautifully in the first part of our liturgy.

I am also deeply grateful to my co-consecrators, Bishop Karol and Bishop Gerry, to the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles, and to all the Australian bishops who have made great efforts to be here today.  Your support, personal welcome, and encouragement mean so much to me.

I am the second Salvatorian bishop in Australia – I assure you that we’re not trying to take over!

As we witnessed earlier, this gathering is made up of laypeople, religious, and priests from all parts of the world, all parts of Australia, and all parts of our diocese. I am grateful for the presence of representatives from other Christian denominations, other faiths, and the local community. Your presence is a sign of unity and shared respect, which I am committed to fostering and growing. Thank you for being here. 

Over the past few months, I have been overwhelmed by the many good wishes and prayers I have received from people all over the diocese. I look forward to getting to know each of you in the months and years ahead. 

It was my parents who first introduced me to God’s love and who modelled that love throughout my life: I think of them with deep gratitude today. I am also profoundly grateful to my family and friends, many who have travelled great distances to be here, including my two godsons Eryk from Poland and Dennie from Sydney and their families. Your presence and support are a great blessing to me.

I am particularly thankful to the Salvatorians and the friends of the Salvatorians, who are so well represented here today. I have always felt a deep sense of belonging in this community, which has nurtured and supported in my vocation, particularly over the 31 years I have been here in Australia. I acknowledge and thank the Salvatorian leaders who are with us today, Fr Chris, Superior General; Fr Jozef, Polish Province Superior; Fr Richard, Provincial Superior of Great Britain; Fr Adam, Superior the East Asia Mission, Fr Greg Superior of Salvatorians in Australia, Anne Cullender, Sammantha Da Luz leaders of the Lay Salvatorians. Your guidance and fraternity have been invaluable to me.

I am grateful to all religious brothers and sisters in Australia who are with us today,  especially Sr Mary Ryan, Sr Chitra Justin, Philip Watkins and the Executive director of Catholic Religious Australia, Anne Walker. I come to Bunbury with the blessing and richness of ministry in many different places in Australia. To the people of Greenmount, Pymble, Gosford, and Pittwater parishes, where I have had the privilege to serve—thank you. I have been truly blessed to grow in faith alongside you and to be part of your communities. Your support, kindness, and prayers have shaped me in countless ways.

To the staff and students of Chisholm Catholic College, St Leo’s Catholic College, and the Catholic Education Western Australia office — I have loved my ministry in your schools. I have been enriched by your wisdom, insights, faith, and friendship. Thank you for the joy you have brought to my journey.

An enormous number of people have contributed to this wonderful ceremony today—through planning, music, liturgical preparation, hospitality, logistics, technology, and many other ways. I am immensely grateful to each and every one of you. If I were to start naming individuals, we would be here until breakfast tomorrow! However, I must acknowledge Fr Pierangelo dela Cruz Repuyan Fr Jess Navarra, Fr Nathan Barrie, John Ogilvie, Aaron Faure, Janet O’Hare, Marsha Mariasusay, Kerrie Merritt. To those joining us online, thank you for your participation and prayers. Your presence, even from afar, means a great deal to me.

In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul encourages the Church to “rejoice in the Lord always.” I have chosen this as my motto as bishop. My heart rejoices today.

I have thanked you all for being here, and now I ask for your prayers—that I may be a faithful servant of the Lord and a dedicated shepherd for this Diocese.  In that same passage, Paul reminds us that the Lord is always near. Here in Bunbury, on the lands of the Wardandi Noongar people, the Lord is near. He is present in the extraordinary coastline, the red earth, the forests, and in every living creature. But most of all, the Lord is near in His people—each and every one, created in the image and likeness of God. The Lord is near in our joys, our hopes, our griefs, and our sufferings. And most profoundly, He loves us—just as we are. That is Good News, and it is a reason to rejoice—always!

As the Church in Bunbury, we have the opportunity to share this Good News. To open our doors and our hearts to those who live here and to those who visit. To remove every barrier that might prevent someone from encountering the love of God. That requires more than waiting for people to come to us — we must go forth.

We are a missionary Church, called to reach out to every place and every periphery to share God’s love. Jesus himself modelled this in his life. He came near to those who others cast aside, and he asks us to do the same to welcome, to include, to heal, and to restore. This also means removing those barriers within ourselves and within our Church that prevent us from going towards others, whoever and wherever they are. We must be the loving presence that God calls us to be, showing people that the God of love is near to them, whoever and wherever they are. So let us rejoice together. The Lord is near.

Let us announce this Good News to one another, to our Diocese, and to the world. Like the lighthouse that adorns our shore, let us be a beacon of light in Bunbury, in Australia, and beyond. 

Thank you, and may God bless you all.

 

Episcopal Ordination and Installation of the Most Rev George Kolodziej SDS, Fifth Bishop of Bunbury, Western Australia

The Catholic Diocese of Bunbury today celebrates the Episcopal Ordination and Installation of the Most Rev George Kolodziej SDS as the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Bunbury, Western Australia.

Bishop George was ordained and installed at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Bunbury, which the Church today marks as the Solemnity of Saint Joseph.

Special guests attending this joyous event included the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, Archbishop Charles Balvo, bishops from across Australia, members of the clergy from the dioceses of both Perth and Bunbury, as well as family, friends and other invited guests from overseas and around Australia.

Apostolic Administrator for the Catholic Diocese of Bunbury (and president of the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference – ACBC) the Most Rev Timothy Costelloe SDB said, “The Bishops of Western Australia and I warmly welcome Bishop Kolodziej and look forward to working with him as he commences his ministry of service to the Diocese of Bunbury and to the people of the South West.

It has been my pleasure to serve as Apostolic Administrator to the Diocese of Bunbury since 30 June 2022 and I wish to thank everyone in the Diocese for their support and encouragement during this time.

Now responsibility for the care of the Diocese of Bunbury is passed on to Bishop George, who brings a wealth of experience in parish ministry, in youth ministry, and in spiritual and pastoral accompaniment to the new mission to the Church in Bunbury to which the Lord has called him.

These same gifts will enrich the life and work of his brother bishops through his involvement with them in the work of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference,” said Archbishop Costelloe SDB.

Fr George, 56, was born in Dobra, Poland. Fr George’s religious journey with the Salvatorians began when he entered the novitiate in September 1987. He made his perpetual profession in the Society of the Divine Saviour (SDS) in September 1992.

Ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, Archbishop of Krakow, in 1994, 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).

He was active in youth ministry, organising 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 since October 2018. Fr George directs the Salvatorian Spirituality Centre in Perth and is a member of the Council of Catholic Religious Australia and the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Perth.

He has also served as a chaplain for Catholic Education Western Australia since January 2019. Fr George holds Master’s degrees in theology and pastoral care/psychotherapy, along with a postgraduate diploma in addiction studies. As a psychotherapist at a rehabilitation centre on the NSW Central Coast, 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.

Newly Ordained Bishop George Kolodziej SDS offered these words during the Installation ceremony today.

”I am deeply grateful to Archbishop Tim, who prepared and ordained me, and who led us so beautifully in our liturgy. I am also deeply grateful to my co-consecrators, Bishop Karol and Bishop Gerard, to the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Charles, and to all the Australian bishops who have made great efforts to be here today.

Your support, personal welcome, and encouragement mean so much to me.

As we witnessed today, this gathering is made up of laypeople, religious, and priests from all parts of the world, all parts of Australia, and all parts of our diocese. I am grateful for the presence of representatives from other Christian denominations, other faiths, and the local community.

Your presence is a sign of unity and shared respect, which I am committed to fostering and growing. Thank you for being here.

Over the past few months, I have been overwhelmed by the many good wishes and prayers I have received from people all over the diocese. I look forward to getting to know each of you in the months and years ahead,” said Bishop George.

Media enquiries should be directed to:
Brett Mendez
Media Liaison, Catholic Diocese of Bunbury
Email: media@bunburycatholic.org.au
Mobile: +61 0412 903 205

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