Bryan Joseph Bayda was the third of six children entrusted by God to Joseph and Florence Bayda (Niedzielski)  in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on August 21, 1961. As a young boy in Saskatoon, he enjoyed lessons in music, numerous sports and had a newspaper route during his elementary school years at Bishop Murray School. Summers and weekends were spent at the farm near Aberdeen, Saskatchewan where his love for farming and the outdoors was nurtured. He attended St. Vladimir’s College Minor Seminary in Roblin, Manitoba and he pursued studies at the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 1982 and a Master of Divinity in 1987. Further studies included a Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba in 1990 and a Diploma in Eastern Christian Theology from the Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies located in Ottawa, Ontario in 1997. He professed perpetual vows in 1986 with the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer Yorkton Province. Bishop Basil Filevich ordained Deacon Bryan to the priesthood on May 30, 1987 at Ss. Peter & Paul’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Saskatoon. He accepted various assignments with the Redemptorists such as teaching and directing the minor seminary high school St. Vladimir’s College, Formation Director of Redeemer House, the major seminary of the Ukrainian Redemptorists in Toronto and pastoral ministry in various parishes throughout Western Canada.