{{short description|Polish-Canadian prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1964)}} {{About|the twenty-first century Polish-Canadian bishop|the nineteenth-century Polish-American bishop|Józef Dąbrowski}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Bishop | name = Joseph Andrzej Dabrowski | honorific_suffix = CSMA | title = {{Ubl | Bishop of Hamilton }} | honorific_prefix = His Excellency , the Most Reverend | church = Catholic | diocese = Hamilton | appointed = November 1, 2025 <ref>https://hamiltondiocese.com/news/2025/11/new-bishop-for-hamilton/</ref> | enthroned = February 2, 2026 <ref>https://hamiltondiocese.com/events/2026/01/installation-of-the-10th-bishop-of-hamilton/</ref> | ordination = May 4, 1991 | ordained_by = Divo Zadi | consecration = April 14, 2015 | consecrated_by = Ronald Peter Fabbro | previous_post = North American Superior of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel (2013–2015) Auxiliary Bishop of London in Ontario (2015–2023) Bishop of Charlottetown in Prince Edward Island (2023-2025) | birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|July 17, 1964}} | birth_place = Wysoka Strzyżowska, Poland | native_name = Józef Andrzej Dąbrowski | motto = {{Ubl | {{Lang|la|Jesu In Te Confido}} | (Jesus, I Trust In You)}} | coat_of_arms = Coat_of_arms_of_Józef_Andrzej_Dąbrowski.svg | alma_mater = Pontifical Athenaeum of St. Anselm | predecessor = Douglas Crosby }} {{Infobox bishop styles|name=Joseph Dabrowski|image=Coat_of_arms_of_Józef_Andrzej_Dąbrowski.svg|image_size=150px|dipstyle=His Excellency, The Most Reverend|offstyle=The Most Reverend|relstyle=}} '''Joseph Andrzej Dabrowski''' {{post-nominals||post-noms=CSMA}} (born July 17, 1964) is a Polish-Canadian prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the 14th Bishop of the Diocese of Charlottetown from June 29, 2023 until 2025. He now serves as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton. Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Dabrowski the Bishop of Hamilton on November 1, 2025 although his official installation was on February 2, 2026<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-01 |title=Pope Leo XIV Appoints Bishop Joseph Dabrowski, C.S.M.A., as the 10th Bishop of the Diocese of Hamilton |url=https://dioceseofcharlottetown.com/pope-leo-xiv-appoints-bishop-joseph-dabrowski-c-s-m-a-as-the-10th-bishop-of-the-diocese-of-hamilton/ |access-date=2026-02-03 |website=Diocese of Charlottetown}}</ref>. He previously served as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of London, Ontario from 2015 to 2023. Prior to being consecrated a bishop, he was the North American superior of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel beginning in 2013. On April 2, 2023, Pope Francis appointed Dabrowski Bishop of the Diocese of Charlottetown following the retirement of Bishop Richard Grecco.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ross |first=Shane |title=Bishop Joseph Dabrowski replaces Richard Grecco as P.E.I. top Catholic leader |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-joseph-dabrowski-bishop-charlottetown-catholic-1.6798979}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2023/04/02/0246/00534.html |title=Rinunce e nomine, 02.04.2023 |language=it |trans-title=Resignations and Appointments, 02.04.2023 |date=2 April 2023 |publisher=Holy See Press Office |id=0246/00534-IT.01}}</ref>
== Biography ==
=== Early life === Dabrowski was born in Wysoka Strzyżowska, Poland, and completed secondary school at the minor seminary of the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel. Inspired by his uncle, a Catholic priest, Dabrowski began seminary studies at the San Pietro Theological Institute in Viterbo, and was awarded a masters degree in philosophy and theology by the Pontificial Athenaeum of St. Anselm, and was ordained to the priesthood on May 4, 1991 by Divo Zadi, bishop of Civita Castellana.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Rev. Joseph Dabrowski ordained auxiliary bishop of the Catholic diocese of London |url=https://lfpress.com/2015/04/14/rev-joseph-dabrowski-ordained-auxiliary-bishop-of-the-catholic-diocese-of-london |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=London Free Press |language=en-CA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bdabroj.html |title=Bishop Józef Andrzej Dąbrowski |website=Catholic-Hierarchy.org |date=20 November 2022 | publisher=David M. Cheney |access-date=21 December 2022}}</ref>
=== Priesthood === Joseph Dabrowski served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Częstochowa church until 1993, when he became chaplain of Cardinal Carter High School. He was made Pastor of St. Mary's Church, London, in 1991, a role he retained for eighteen years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rinunce e nomine |url=https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2015/01/31/0081/00169.html |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=press.vatican.va}}</ref>
left|thumb|213x213px|St. Mary's Church, where Dabrowski served from 1998 to 2015.
He served as adjunct spiritual director to St. Peter's Seminary from 2002 to 2003, and became North American superior of the Warsaw-based Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel on June 19, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=Catholic Register |title=Polish-born Michaelite named auxiliary bishop in London |url=https://www.catholicregister.org/item/19646-polish-born-michaelite-named-auxiliary-bishop-in-london |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=www.catholicregister.org |language=en-gb}}</ref> Dabrowski is fluent in Polish, English, and Italian, and has studied Russian, Latin, and Spanish.<ref name=":0" />
=== Episcopacy === On January 31, 2015, Dabrowski was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of London, Ontario by Pope Francis.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Auxiliary Bishop appointed for London |url=https://www.cccb.ca/media-release/new-auxiliary-bishop-appointed-for-london/ |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops |language=en-US}}</ref> He was consecrated a bishop on April 14, 2015, by Bishop Ronald Fabbro.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ordination of new Auxiliary Bishop of London |url=https://www.cccb.ca/announcement/ordination-of-new-auxiliary-bishop-of-london/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops |language=en-US}}</ref>
On 1 November 2025, Pope Leo appointed Bishop Dąbrowski as the new Bishop of Hamilton<ref>https://hamiltondiocese.com/news/2025/11/new-bishop-for-hamilton/</ref>
He chose "''Jesu in Te Confido''" — meaning "''Jesus, I Trust in You''" — as his episcopal motto, in reference to Divine Mercy and the visions of Jesus Christ reported by Faustina Kowalska.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bishop Dabrowski Coat of Arms |url=https://dol.ca/coat-of-arms |access-date=2022-11-20 |website=Diocese of London |language=en}}</ref>
Bishop Dabrowski's Coat of Arms has three main sections. The letter M with the crown represents the Blessed Virgin Mary as Mother of God and Mother of the Church. He included this in the Coat of Arms due to his strong Marian devotion<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2025-10-29 |title=The Coat of Arms of the Most Reverend Joseph Dabrowski, C.S.M.A. |url=https://dioceseofcharlottetown.com/the-coat-of-arms-of-the-most-reverend-joseph-dabrowski-c-s-m-a/ |access-date=2026-02-04 |website=Diocese of Charlottetown}}</ref>. To the right of that is a letter J with the carpenter's square represents Saint Joseph the Patron Saint of the Universal Church<ref name=":1" /> and Canada. It also connects the bishop to his home parish of St. Joseph in Wysoka Strzyżowska, Poland<ref name=":1" />. It also reflects Bishop Dabrowski's baptismal name. The symbol in the green section with the flaming sword with wings represents Saint Michael the Archangel, the defender of the Church<ref name=":1" />. He included this because of his spiritual roots in the Congregation of Saint Michael the Archangel (the Michaelite Fathers)<ref name=":1" />. The colours also connect to important places for him<ref name=":1" />. Poland and Canada have white and red on their flags, and Italy has white, red and green. The reason for these countries' representation is: Poland - his homeland, Canada - his present home, and Italy - where he received his priestly formation and ordination.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Dabrowski, Joseph}} Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Polish Roman Catholic bishops Category:21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in Canada
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