SEPTEMBER 2023

CHALDEAN DIGEST
Young people flock together at the Parque Tejo in Lisbon for a vigil with Pope Francis,
ahead of the 37th World Youth Day, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023.
World Youth Day ‘Home’ event brings
teens in communion with peers in Lisbon
While an estimated 1.5 million young people
gathered in Lisbon for World Youth Day with
Pope Francis, another 62 gathered in metro
Detroit with Archbishop Allen Vigneron. These
youth were from 11 different parishes, and they
came together at Our Lady of the Fields Camp
in Brighton, staying there in solidarity with
their counterparts in Spain.
Archbishop Vigneron emphasized that message
of unity in his homily during Mass, celebrated
alongside Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat of
the Chaldean Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle,
who owns and operates the camp.
“By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are
very much in communion with all the pilgrims
gathered around our Holy Father the pope,
in Lisbon,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “And
so we are the recipients of graces poured out
there, but also we ought to understand that
they are blessed by our observance of World
Youth Day. In fact, each of us is blessed by
the observance of all of us. So whatever your
own particular intentions or aspirations are,
as you come to this pilgrimage, remember, be
assured you are not alone.”
– Detroitcatholic.com
PHOTO BY ANA BRIGIDA / AP
PHOTO COURTESY ACN
New pastoral center in
Iraq is a sign of hope
Nine years after ISIS invaded and forced Christians to flee from
Iraq, Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has just helped complete
a project. The large pastoral center, begun in 2019, will serve the
1,450 Catholic families estimated to live in Dohuk. Most are Chaldean,
but about 1/3 are estimated to be Syriac.
The ground floor will be dedicated to activities of the diocese,
including Radio Mary, a listening center, the Mother Teresa Fraternity
for the Poor and Sick, archives, and even a museum. The
first floor will house classrooms and the second floor will be a
permanent residence for Bishop Azad Shaba and 11 priests.
After a visit to Dohuk in March 2022, ACN approved a support
package that allowed the local church to go ahead with construction.
The completed pastoral center was inaugurated on July 8 by
Bishop Shaba, who has led the diocese since 2021.
– Churchinneed.org
Group photo with Bishop Azad Shaba in front of the Papa
Francisco Pastoral Center in Dohuk.
PHOTO BY VAHID SALEMI/AP
In this photo taken Saturday, Dec. 25, 2010, Christians attend the Christmas Mass at the St. Grigor Armenian
Catholic Church in Tehran, Iran. Iran’s recent crackdown demonstrates the limits of religious tolerance by Islamic
leaders who often boast they provide room for other faiths.
Iran arresting
Christians
in new
crackdown
Iranian authorities recently arrested dozens
of Christians, mostly coverts from Islam but
also some Assyrian Chaldeans who were
baptized as children. Article 18, a human
rights organization, reports that at least 69
people were taken into custody. Asia News
reports that after their arrest, people were
forced to sign statements pledging to refrain
from Christian activities or undergo Islamic
re-education in order to be released.
“Overall, there seems to be a renewed or
more aggressive crackdown on groups the
regime feels threatened by,” said Article 18
director Mansour Borji.
– Catholic World News
12 CHALDEAN NEWS SEPTEMBER 2023