UOCC Installs First Canadian-Born Head

WINNIPEG— On Sunday, July 23, in Winnipeg, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada installed Archbishop John (Stinka) as the church’s ruling hierarch.

Bishops and dignitaries from across Canada and the United States attended the ceremony. Archbishop John became the church’s fifth metropolitan and the first head of the church to be born in Canada.

The celebration of Archbishop John’s installation took place at Holy Trinity Metropolitan Cathedral.  Archbishop Antony, ruling hierarch of the Eastern Eparchy and president of the Consistory, represented the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA at the installation.

The son of Ukrainian pioneers, Archbishop John was born in Buchanan, Saskatchewan. He was the youngest of 12 children. For the past 32 years, Archbishop John has served in the ministry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, being ordained a bishop in 1983.

Since 1985 he served as the bishop of Edmonton and the Western Diocese, which includes parishes in Alberta and British Columbia. Last summer, Archbishop John was elected as the new ruling hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada. The formal installation saw the election process completed.