Jan Purwinski

Bishop Jan Purwinski or Yan Purvinskyi (Ukrainian: Ян Пурвінський; Polish: Jan Purwiński; Latvian: Jānis Purvinskis; born 19 November 1934 in Dolna, near Ilūkste, Latvia) is a Latvian-born Ukrainian Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Diocesan Bishop of Kyiv–Zhytomyr since 16 January 1991 until 15 June 2011 (until 25 November 1998 as the Diocesan Bishop of Zytomyr).

Jan Purwinski
Diocesan Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr (until 25 November 1998 as the Diocesan Bishop of Zytomyr)
Church	Roman Catholic Church
Appointed	16 January 1991
Term ended	15 June 2011
Predecessor	Fr. Teofil Skalski (Ap. Administrator)
Successor	Petro Malchuk
Orders
Ordination	13 April 1961 (Priest) by Petras Mazelis
Consecration	4 March 1991 (Bishop) by Francesco Colasuonno
Personal details
Birth name	Jānis Purvinskis
Born	(1934-11-19) 19 November 1934 Dolna, near Ilūkste, Latvia

Early life

Bishop Purwinski was born into a peasant Roman Catholic family of Polish ethnicity in Latgale. After graduation from school he joined the Major Theological Seminary in Riga in 1956,[1] and was ordained as priest on April 13, 1961[2] for his native Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Riga.

Career

From 1961 until 1977 Fr. Purwinski began to serve as an assistant priest in Daugavpils and after, as a parish priest and vice-dean in Krāslava, Baltinava and Indra. In 1977 he was transferred to Ukraine and began to learn the Ukrainian language[3] and work as assistant priest in St. Sophia's Cathedral, Zhytomyr (from 1984 he was a dean of the Cathedral).[1] Before moving to Ukraine Fr. Purwinski spoke Polish, Latgalian, Latvian and Russian.[3] Alongside parish work, from 1981 until 1991 he served as a Bishopric Vicar for the Ukraine and Moldova.[1]

On January 16, 1991, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the Diocesan Bishop of the recreated Roman Catholic Diocese of Zhytomyr. On March 4, 1991, he was consecrated as bishop by Archbishop Francesco Colasuonno and other prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in St. Sophia's Cathedral in Zhytomyr.[2]

He retired on June 15, 2011 and currently resides in Zhytomyr.

References

1. "Єпископ Ян Пурвінський". Official Website of the Diocese of Kyiv–Zhytomyr (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 24 November 2017.
2. "Bishop Jan Purwinski". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. David M. Cheney. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
3. Mežniece, Ilze (18 September 2011). "Bīskapu diena Ilūkstē" [Bishops day in Ilūkste]. Katoļu Baznīcas Vēstnesis (in Latvian). Retrieved 26 November 2017.

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Reestablished	Diocesan Bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr (until 1998 Bishop of Zhytomyr) 1991–2011	Succeeded by Petro Malchuk