The Right Reverend Kenneth Nowakowski, Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London and Bishop for Slovak, Belarusian and Hungarian Greek Catholics in Great Britain has been awarded an OBE by His Majesty King Charles III. The King’s Birthday Honours were announced on Friday, 13 June.
Bishop Nowakowski was appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as an ‘Officer’ .
The King’s Honours provide an opportunity to celebrate individual outstanding achievements and contributions to British society. The appointment was made citing the Eparchial Bishop’s service to Ukrainians.
“When I learned of the appointment, I felt very humbled to be acknowledged by the Crown. At the same time, I feel very honoured to be recognised for the work our Eparchy and the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain have been doing to assist Ukrainians who have had to flee harm’s way since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and have found welcome here in Great Britain,” said Bishop Nowakowski.
In partnership with the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB), Bishop Nowakowski and the Eparchy of the Holy Family of London established the Ukrainian Welcome Centre shortly after the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The Ukrainian Welcome Centre has assisted Ukrainians who have arrived in the United Kingdom.
Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski was appointed to the Eparchy of the Holy Family by Pope Francis and was enthroned its bishop in March of 2020. He was ordained bishop in July 2007, and prior to his appointment to Great Britain, he was the Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster in British Columbia, Canada. Born in Canada in 1958, Bishop Nowakowski grew up in a small prairie farming community. His ancestors immigrated from what is now Western Ukraine in the late 1890s, settling on the Canadian Prairies. Ordained a Ukrainian Catholic priest in 1989, he served in Ukraine between 1991 and 2001.
Honours such as the Order of the British Empire are part of the orders of chivalry that have been awarded by monarchs since the Middle Ages. In recent times, the British Honours System has recognised people who have “made achievements in public life” and “committed themselves to serving and helping Britain”. The Honours are a fitting way for the Crown to acknowledge long-term volunteers, innovators, entrepreneurs, individuals displaying “moral courage”, those making a difference in their community or field of work or people improving life for others less able to help themselves.
The honours are bestowed at ceremonies typically held at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and, occasionally, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. They are hosted by senior Royals.
