Pope Francis appoints a bishop of RCC Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr

On Sunday, April 30, 2017, the Vatican announced the decision of Pope Francis to appoint Vitaliy Kryvytskyy, SDB, a rector of the parish of St. Peter in Odessa, the Bishop of the RCC Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr in Ukraine.

It was reported by Vatican Radio.

The nominee bishop was born on August 19, 1972 in Odessa. In 1987, he started his underground formation in his hometown under the guidance of Salesian Father Tadeusz Hoppe, and in 1990 he joined the Salesian Congregation of St. John Bosco. On graduation from Krakow seminary, on May 24, 1997, he was ordained to the holy priesthood.

Father Vitaly originally performed pastoral ministry as parochial vicar in Odessa (1997-2004). From 2004 to 2012, he led the parish and Salesian community in Korystyshev, Zhytomyr region. Then, for two years, he served as a priest in Peremyshlyany, Lviv region, and in 2014 he was appointed rector of the parish of St. Peter in Odessa.

As reported, the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr, which is a part of Lviv Roman Catholic metropolis, became vacant after the sudden departure to eternity of the previous ordinary Archbishop Petro Malchuk who passed away on May 27, 2016. It brings together Roman Catholic parishes of Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions. The Cathedral of St. Sophia is located in Zhytomyr, a status of joint cathedral has also St. Alexander Cathedral in