Background
Bzdel was born to Ukrainian immigrants in Wishart, Saskatchewan, Canada, on July 21, 1930, the 11th of 14 children in his family.
Bzdel was born to Ukrainian immigrants in Wishart, Saskatchewan, Canada, on July 21, 1930, the 11th of 14 children in his family.
Following his presbyteral ordination in 1954, he was assigned to ministry in various parishes across Western Canada. In 1992 he was named Archbishop-elect and head of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg. He received archiepiscopal Ordination and consecration as Archbishop of the Winnipeg Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy on March 9, 1993, having received the appointment in 1992.
He also served on several CCCB commissions and committees, including the former Ad Hoc Committee for Aid to the Church in Eastern and Central Europe and the Balkans.
In 1997, Pope John Paul II named him a Delegate to the Synod of Bishops for America. He retired in January 2006, after nearly 13 years as Metropolitan.
As Metropolitan, Archbishop Bzdel was one of the four ex-officio members of the Permanent Council of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.