Newly Ordained Father Peter Joseph Pitchko Begins His Priestly Ministry

Father Peter Joseph Pitchko is a newly ordained priest of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton. Born and raised in the Edmonton area, he is the youngest of three children born to Murray and Edie Pitchko, with two older sisters, Megan and Jessica.

Father Peter credits his vocation journey to the loving support of his parents and sisters, his grandparents of blessed memory, and his extended family, friends, and benefactors. From an early age, his parents raised their children in the Ukrainian Catholic faith, bringing them to St. Basil’s Church each Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation for the Divine Liturgy.

The Sisters of the SSMI taught him catechism, while the OSBM fathers at St. Basil’s ministered to him through the Holy Mysteries of Baptism, Chrismation, Solemn Holy Communion, and Confession.

For Father Peter, faith extended beyond the life of the parish. His parents created a Christ-centred home where the family prayed before meals, prayed the rosary, and prayed before school and bedtime. Their home was filled with holy icons and religious art.

“As I grew older, the ‘imposed’ prayer and church life began to be something I truly wanted and enjoyed,” Father Peter reflected. “In a sense, I took the faith into my own heart and was touched by the awesome wonders of God and His creation.”

Over time, he began to pray more intentionally, listen to sacred music, attend Eucharistic Adoration, pray the Jesus Prayer, and engage in personal meditation. Although he recognizes that he has not attained holiness, Father Peter sees these early experiences as the seeds of a vocation that continued to grow throughout his childhood and young adulthood.

Discerning the Call

Father Peter’s discernment became more focused during his college years, as he sought to understand his path in life and what God was calling him to do. After college, he worked for several years as an accounting clerk before taking a step of faith toward ecclesial service and ministry within Christ’s Church.

He describes his vocation as a call that gradually became stronger, particularly after years of attempting to suppress it. During his twenties and early thirties, he explored different forms of religious and ecclesial life, including time with the Basilian Order, discernment at a Benedictine monastery, and work in a Church office.

Each experience brought peace and meaning, but Father Peter sensed that he had not yet arrived at the destination to which God was leading him.

His journey eventually brought him to Holy Spirit Seminary. Following his studies and a year of pastoral internship, he was ordained a deacon to continue toward the priesthood.

Father Peter then served for a year as a deacon at St. Josaphat Cathedral. That year of diaconal ministry further prepared him for priestly service and deepened his desire to serve God and His people.

Ordained to the Priesthood

On August 15, 2026, Father Peter Joseph Pitchko was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop David Motiuk.

Reflecting on his ordination, Father Peter explained that the day represented both the culmination of a long journey and the beginning of a new one.

“The whole journey of life has brought me to this priestly ministry,” he said. “But in its own sense, ordination was not the end, but merely the beginning of another route of life, another way of existing.”

Although he has been a priest for only a short time, Father Peter has already experienced deep gratitude for the blessings and new opportunities that have come with his ministry. He recognizes that there is still much to learn and much more to give in service of the Lord and His people.

He is especially mindful of the prayer in the ordination service asking God to supply what is lacking in the candidate.

“There certainly was, and is, so much lacking in me, as an instrument of His grace,” Father Peter said. “But I know that God has, and will continue to, transform me and my life.”

A Message of Vocation

Father Peter believes that every person has a vocation and a purpose given by God. Above all, each person is called to become a saint.

“How that vocation is lived is found in the beautiful interplay between God’s call and grace, and our own will and freedom,” he reflected. “We can, and must, choose to live a life for God; it won’t be forced on us.”

As he begins his priestly ministry, Father Peter prays for the grace to remain open to God’s will and to follow wherever the Lord leads him. He also encourages everyone to open themselves to the vocation and journey God has prepared for them.

“My prayers of thanks and gratitude to God are for all the gifts He has given me,” he said. “I can only hope and strive to continue to be open to whatever He wants of me and wherever He leads me to do it.”

He concludes with a prayer that all people may embrace their own journey of faith and vocation as they walk together toward the same destination: theosis, participation in the life of God.

The Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton proudly congratulates Father Peter Joseph Pitchko on his ordination to the priesthood. We offer our prayers and best wishes as he begins this new chapter of service to God and His people. May the Lord bless and strengthen him in his ministry, and may his priestly vocation bear abundant fruit for the Church.