Bermuda’s Catholic community welcomed its new Bishop last night.

Polish priest Wieslaw Spiewak, known as Wesley, was ordained as Bishop of Hamilton in Bermuda at a packed St Theresa’s Cathedral by his predecessor, Bishop Robert Kurtz, who has retired after 20 years on the Island.

Bishop Kurtz presented Bishop Spiewak with the mitre and crozier, a shepherd’s crook, as symbols of his new office.

Bishop Spiewak, a member of the religious order the Congregation of the Resurrection, thanked the senior members of the order and its priests and brothers for their support and goodwill.

Diocese Vicar General Father Paul Voisin read out the mandate from Pope Francis appointing Bishop Spiewak to his new role.

The Pope wrote: “Because the Diocese of Hamilton in Bermuda is vacant due to the resignation of our venerable brother Robert Kurtz, after a consultation, we have thought of you, dear son, and we have seen you as suitable to succeed him.

“Having received the favourable opinion of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, with our universal Apostolic authority with this letter we assign and appoint you Bishop of Hamilton in Bermuda.”

Earlier, Archbishop Nicola Girasoli, the Papal Nuncio, the Vatican equivalent of an ambassador to much of the Caribbean, praised the work of Bishop Kurtz on the Island.

He told the congregation of nearly 600 that Bishop Kurtz “tremendously improved” the diocese during his term.

Archbishop Girasoli, one of six Archbishops and Bishops from the region to attend the ordination, told Bishop Kurtz: “Thank you for what you have done in these 20 years here.”

He told the new Bishop: “You are young, dynamic, you’re full of enthusiasm and I assure you here in Bermuda you will be greatly supported by a very dynamic Catholic community.”