CHALDEAN DIGEST Kirkuknow Chaldean Bishop: Return to Mosul, the city is safe! Six months after his return to Mosul, Najib Mikhail, bishop of the Chaldeans of Mosul, Nineveh Plains and Aqrah (Akre), calls on the Christians to return to the city of Mosul, describing it as a “safe” city. Bishop Najib Mikhail has returned to the city of Mosul, the center of Ninewa province, six months ago and decided to stay there, eight years after he left the city due to the threats of the militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant ISIL. “The father must reunite with his children, so I returned to Mosul to see closely the work of restoring churches. Mosul is my city. I am the first bishop to return to Mosul after its liberation and live here,” says Bishop Mikhail, who was born in Mosul. “During my return, the people of Mosul in general rejoiced and received me warmly. The people of Mosul wish the Christians to return to the city, so that they can live together in harmony as they lived in before the advent of ISIL.” According to the statistics of both the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government, there are tens of thousands of Christian families who have not yet returned to their homes and are living in a state of displacement, in addition to that thousands of other families - 24,000 families from Ninewa only - have emigrated abroad. Catholic Sentinel Chaldean bishop visits, discusses divine love St. Mary Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland echoed with energetic chants in Syriac, a language closely related to the tongue spoken by Jesus. Bishop Emanuel Shaleta of the California-based St. Peter’s Chaldean Catholic Diocese visited Oregon to preside at a Chaldean Catholic Divine Liturgy. On the snowy afternoon, about 80 worshippers attended, many with roots in Iraq. The Chaldean rite emerged there about two millennia ago among the descendants of ED LANGLOIS/CATHOLIC SENTINEL the ancient Babylonians. “We feel the love of God for us and we are happy,” Bishop Shaleta said, having walked up to the pews to deliver his homily. Chaldean Catholics have faced centuries of persecution. Persians, Mongols, Ottomans, and Arab Muslims all have targeted the group. Recently, the Chaldeans withstood the ire of the Islamic State. Over the years, these trials caused many Chaldeans to immigrate. There are an estimated Right: A $120 million, 203-home lakefront community is coming to Commerce Township from Franklin Property Corp. and Whitehall Real Estate Interests. Left: Dr. Grace Jazrawi holds son Ephrem as Bishop Emanuel Shaleta blesses him during a Chaldean Catholic baptismal rite December 26 at St. Mary Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland. “Some of the families who returned to Mosul returned after my arrival... The reason behind the reluctance of the displaced Christians to return to Mosul is due to the failure to rebuild their destroyed homes and religious places.” Five churches are currently being restored in Mosul. “In total, 20 churches in Ninewa province are awaiting rehabilitation.” About his decision to return to Mosul, Archbishop Najib Mikhail said, “My goal is first to encourage Christians to return to their homes, secondly to monitor the process of rebuilding churches, and thirdly I want to send a message to the whole world and to Christians that Mosul is safe and it only needs reconstruction and services so that all the displaced can return to their homes.” – Ammar Aziz 250,000 to 400,000 Chaldean Catholics in the United States. Bishop Shaleta’s diocese, headquartered in San Diego, is made up of the western half of the country, with small communities of Chaldeans spread widely. Larger groups live in Texas and California. Bishop Shaleta leads 20 priests. The eastern diocese includes larger populations, mostly in Michigan. After Mass, Bishop Shaleta baptized Ephrem Jazrawi, the infant son of Drs. Saad and Grace Jazrawi. Saad, a leader of a local group of Catholic doctors, is from Iraq. – Ed Langlois FRANKLIN PROPERTY CORP. Dbusiness A $120M waterfront community coming to Commerce Township Representing one of the largest luxury residential developments announced in recent years, Franklin Property Corp. in Farmington Hills, in partnership with Whitehall Real Estate Interests in Novi, will break ground in February on a $120-million, 203-home lakefront community in Commerce Township. The Reserve at Crystal Lake, which replaces a former sand and gravel operation that began operations in the 1950s, will see homes priced from $475,000 to $1.2 million along and near the 42-acre lake. Each home along the water will include a white-sandy beach and a dock, while the community will have access to a private beach with a cabana-style clubhouse. The development, which was owned by the Chaldean Church, has been approved by the township. The land was brokered by Randy Thomas, president and CEO of Insite Commercial in Commerce Township. The sewer and water lines will be brought in from 1.5 miles away, and the community is in the Huron Valley School District. The lake has a sandy bottom, and Milia says there is no pollution on the site. “The lake is literally crystal clear, having been created from the former sand and gravel operation,” says Milia. “Over the years, birds have brought in fish. The lake itself will be passive, meaning you can have electric boats, kayaks, and other non-motorized boats.” He adds the housing mixture will provide for multiple generations. People who may buy a large home could scale down to something smaller in their later years. In addition to the private beach, residents will enjoy a handful of pocket parks in the neighborhood. The homes will range in size from 2,000 square feet to 5,000 square feet. Milia says the land will be reshaped so it has a slight slope toward the lake. The average price of the homes will be around $600,000. “There’s a shortage of lots in the region, and we see this project taking five years to build out,” says Milia. “It’s a unique piece of property.” – R.J. King 14 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>FEBRUARY</strong> <strong>2022</strong>
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