Fr. Ivan Simko, previously of Saskatoon, has joined the Ukrainian Catholic Church, replacing Fr. Joakim Rac who recently retired. This is his first parish appointment after being ordained earlier this summer on June 24.
Simko was born in Vrbas, Serbia in Aug. 27, 1991, only about 20 km from the village where Fr. Rac was born, and moved to Canada in 1993 with his parents. He met his future wife Lesia and the couple were married on Aug. 15, 2020 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. To this union they have added a son, Damian. Simko was ordained in June and the family later moved to Canora.
Fr. Simko started his new duties on Aug. 1. “I am looking forward to meeting everyone in the congregations and communities that I serve,” he said.
Simko attended the Holy Cross Catholic High School in Saskatoon from 2005-2009. Following graduation he attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon from 2009-2011. He then travelled to Loppianne, Italy to attend the Focolare, Gen School n 2011-2012 and returned to the U of S enrolled in Mechanical Engineering, from 2012-2015. He was a Olymel Project Specialist from 2015-2017 prior to attending a Holy Spirit Seminary in Ottawa in 2019-2020 and Holy Spirit Seminary in Edmonton from 2020-2022. From 2022-2023 he attended the Regina Ukrainian Catholic Parishes as Pastoral Internship until he was ordained in June.
He was appointed as parish administrator of the Canora Parish District on Aug. 1, 2023. He serves parishes in Buchanan, Canora, Dobrowody, Hudson Bay, Invermay, Preeceville, Rama, Arran-Vesna, Kamsack, Norquay, Benito and Swan River.
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