Pope Francis has this evening appointed Perth-based priest, Fr George Kolodziej SDS, to be the fifth Bishop of Bunbury.

Fr George, 56, was born in Dobra, Poland, and has been the Superior of the Salvatorians in Australia since October 2018.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop of Perth Timothy Costelloe SDB, said the bishop-elect was “profoundly marked by the richness of his Salvatorian charism”.

“Fr George will bring 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,” Archbishop Costelloe said.

“These same gifts will also enrich the life and work of his brother bishops through his involvement with them in the work of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. We look forward to welcoming him among us. “

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 served as a chaplain for Catholic Education Western Australia since January 2019.

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.

Pastoral work

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.

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.

The ordination and installation service is expected to be held in March.

BACKGROUND ON THE BUNBURY DIOCESE

• The Diocese of Bunbury covers south-west Western Australia
• It spans an area one and a half times that of England
• The Diocese contains about one-sixth of the population of Western Australia
• There are 26 parishes and a Catholic population of just under 57,000

(Media release from Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. Image courtesy of Diocese of Bunbury)