Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB has paid tribute to the late Bishop Peter Stasiuk, Emeritus Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne.
Bishop Stasiuk died aged 82 in his birth country of Canada.
Entering the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists) in 1962, he was ordained a priest in 1967.
His early years of ministry were spent in Canada, where he developed a deep love for the Ukrainian people and for the Eastern traditions of the Church.
In 1992, Bishop Peter was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Eparch for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, a role he fulfilled faithfully for nearly three decades until his retirement in 2020.
May his death also serve as a reminder to us all to continue to pray for a just and lasting peace in the country whose faith and traditions he valued so highly.
‘The death of Bishop Peter Stasiuk brings to an end a life of dedicated service to the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia and New Zealand,’ Archbishop Costelloe said.
‘Bishop Peter, a member of the Redemptorists (CSsR), was also a significant contributor to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, and a constant reminder to the bishops of both the presence and the importance of the Eastern Catholic churches as a vital part of the Catholic community here in this land.
‘As we thank God for the gift of Bishop Stasiuk to the clergy and people of the Ukrainian Eparchy in Australia, we pray for his eternal rest.
‘May his death also serve as a reminder to us all to continue to pray for a just and lasting peace in the country whose faith and traditions he valued so highly.’
In a statement on the passing of Bishop Stasiuk, Cardinal Mykola Bychok CSsR, Eparch of Melbourne, said his predecessor had ‘served our Church and our people with unwavering dedication, pastoral love, and missionary zeal’.
He was a Redemptorist missionary to the core, a faithful shepherd, and a father to many.
Noting Bishop Stasiuk’s significant roles in youth ministry, religious education, ecumenical dialogue and humanitarian outreach, and his passionate advocacy for Ukrainian people in Australia and overseas, Cardinal Bychok observed that ‘Even in retirement, Bishop Peter continued to serve with quiet humility and prayerful presence, especially among the Redemptorist community.
‘We thank God for the gift of Bishop Peter’s life and service. He was a Redemptorist missionary to the core, a faithful shepherd, and a father to many,’ Cardinal Bychok said.
‘May Our Lord, whom Bishop Peter served so lovingly, grant him eternal rest in the company of the saints.’
Funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.
Banner image: the late Bishop Peter Stasiuk, Emeritus Bishop of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne. (Photo courtesy of ACBC.)
