Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East

ST. MARY’S PARISH

4320 E. 14 Mile Road

Warren, Michigan

ISSUE 10 – JULY 2008

CLERGY Rev’d Fr. Benjamin Benjamin Rev’d Fr. Lawrance Namato Rev’d Deacon Rowel Shimon Rev’d Deacon Gewargis Somo Rev’d Deacon Fraidon Mirza Rev’d Deacon Sargon Rihana Rev’d Deacon Amir Brekha Rev’d Deacon Maurice Toma Sub-Deacon Dani David EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Yousif Odisho Youil Ishmail Linda W. Warda Nariman Kako Dr. Oraham Yacoub Enwiya Mikhail Hanna Daniel Ibrahim Mirza John Somo Sabah Yokhana Tom Tamou William Moshe

President V. President

Secretary Treasurer

Member Member Member Member Member Member Member Member

Parish Website: www.saintmarysdetroit.org Email Address: info@saintmarysdetroit.org Parish Office ….. (586) 825-0290 Parish Fax …..…. (586) 825-0297 Parish Priest Tel. (586) 825-0285 Qasha Benjamin (586) 825-0285 Qasha Lawrance (734) 476-9546

Schedules 2

Upcoming Events 3

Church Support Pgms 4

August Calendar 5

Youth Conference 6-9

ܒ 11-10 ܬ

Bible Verses 12

HOLY LITURGY (QURBANA) SCHEDULE Saturday Holy Qurbana 6:00 P.M. – 7:30 P.M. Assyrian & English

Sunday Holy Qurbana 9:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. Assyrian Sunday School Sunday 9:30 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. Please register your kids (ages 7 – 11) Evening Prayers Everyday 6:00 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. Bible Study (Assyrian) Every Friday 7:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Games, prizes, and dinner every last Friday of the month. Assyrian Language Classes – Multiple levels and different ages Monday - Thursday 4:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. Bible Study (English) Wednesday 8:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Youth Tutoring Program Saturday 11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. All students K-12 and college students are welcome to attend. Community Visitation (St. Mary’s Basement) Friday 4:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.

Register for summer Assyrian Language Classes For Adults and Kids

Every Monday through Thursday 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM

ST. MARY’S UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, August 1, Qurbana Qaddisha at 6:00 PM – Dukhrana d’Mart Shmuni and

Her Sons

Wednesday, August 6, Qurbana Qaddisha at 9:00 AM – The Holy Feast of

Transfiguration (ܓelyana D’Maran)

Thursday, August 7, Qurbana Qaddisha at 6:00 PM – The Memorial of Assyrian

Martyrs (Sahdeh Atoraye)

Friday, August 15, Qurbana Qaddisha at 9:00 AM – The Memorial of St. Mary the Blessed Virgin – Dukhrana at 6:00 PM

Park Sale – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, August 1st, 2nd, 3rd

Church Parking Lot

St. Mary’s Basement Hall is available for all your occasions – Please stop by the

Treasurer’s Office for rental prices.

ܐ ܐ ܕܐܬܘܪ ܘ ܕ ܘ ܘ ܬܝ ܒ ܐ ܕ

Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East St. Mary’s Parish

Please inquire about the following

programs in Motwa or the

Treasurer’s office.

Help Support our Church

1. Community Rewards.

2. Charity Motors Car Donation Program.

3. AT&T Church Support Initiative.

4. GoodSearch.com & GoodShop.

Propers for the month of August

8/1/2008 Commemoration of Shmuni and Her Sons

8/3/2008 Sixth Sunday of Summer

8/6/2008 The Holy Feast of Transfiguration of our Lord

8/7/2008 Commemoration of Assyrian Martyrs

8/8/2008 Commemoration of Mar Shimon Bar Sabbae the Catholicos Patriarch

8/10/2008 Seventh Sunday of Summer

8/15/2008 Commemoration of St. Mary the Blessed Virgin and Mar Qardakh the Martyr

8/17/2008 First Sunday of Elijah

8/22/2008 Commemoration of Mar Papa the Catholicos Patriarch

8/24/2008 Second Sunday of Elijah

8/31/2008 Third Sunday of Elijah

I beseech you, my brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to be of one accord, and let there be

no divisions among you but be perfectly united in one mind and in one thought.

1 Corinthians 1:10

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Communiqué of the 22nd Annual National Assyrian Church of the East Youth Association Conference

The 22nd Annual Conference of the Youth Association of the Assyrian Church of the East in North America was held from July 3rd to 6th, 2008, at Phoenix, Arizona (USA) under the auspices of the St. Peter Parish in Phoenix, Diocese of Western United States. There were over 400 youth participants in this year’s conference from all over the four dioceses in North America (Diocese of Eastern USA, Western USA, Canada and Western California). The various parish youth ministries which participated from our North American parishes were as follows: 1) Mar Gewargis Parish, Chicago; 2) St. Mary’s Parish, Roselle; 3) St. Andrew’s Parish, Des Plaines; 4) St. Mary’s Parish, Detroit; 5) Mar Mari Parish, Hamilton (Canada); 6) St. Peter Parish, Phoenix; 7) Mar Narsai Parish, San Francisco; 8) Mar Yosip Khnanisho Parish, San Jose; 9) Mar Addai Parish, Turlock; 10) Mar Zaia Parish, Modesto; 11) Mar Gewargis Parish, Ceres; 12) St. Mary’s Parish, Los Angeles; 13) Rabban Hermizd Parish, San Diego. There was also one representative from the Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. The parish priests who participated in the Conference were: 1) Cor-bishop David Royel, San Jose; 2) Cor-bishop Gewargis Toma, Des Plaines; 3) Cor-bishop Fredrick Hermiz, Phoenix; 4) Rev. Auchana Kanoun, Ceres; 5) Rev. Kando Kando, Mar Yosip Parish, Chandler; 6) Rev. Gewargis Bet-Rasho, Los Angeles; 7) Rev. William Toma, Roselle; 8) Rev. Polos Benjamin, Chicago; 9) Rev. Lawrence Namato, Detroit. The theme of this year’s conference was, “My Church: the Pillar of Truth,” based on I Timothy 3:15: “…the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth…” the youth of the Assyrian Church of the East learned about the great theological, historical and faith heritage of their spiritual mother, the Church of the East. The conference was solemnly convoked on Thursday with the celebration of the Holy Qurbana by His Grace Bishop Mar Aprim Khamis, Bishop of the Diocese of Western USA. Being the liturgical commemoration of Mar Thoma (St. Thomas) the Apostle, it was

appropriate to begin the conference’s activities with the Holy Qurbana on the feast day of one of the founding apostles of the Assyrian Church of the East. On the next three days, Friday thru Saturday, talks were given by priests, deacons and the lay faithful in order to enrich the ancient Christian faith of our youth living in North America today. The youth attending the conference were especially graced to have a breakfast on Saturday morning with His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, who had flown in from Chicago specifically to attend the conference and impart his apostolic blessings to all the youth. His Holiness spoke to the Assyrian youth regarding the importance of the growth of their faith in Jesus Christ our Savior, through the instrumentality of the Church of their forefathers, the Assyrian Church of the East. In addition to adhering to the apostolic faith of the Church, His Holiness also stressed the importance of preserving our ancient Assyrian language and culture, especially as we live in the great ‘melting-pot’ nations in the West. Along with the various liberties and God-given freedoms which we enjoy, there is always the peril that our future generations will forget their Assyrian language and identity as a whole. Further, His Holiness also exhorted the parents to instill the Christian faith in the hearts of their children from childhood, for it is in the home and under the tutelage of the parents that our Christian and Assyrian identity will be fostered and preserved, no matter where we might reside. On Sunday, July 6 all the youth participants took part in the celebration of the Holy Qurbana presided by His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV. Since St. Peter Parish commemorated the late Mar Yosip Khnanisho that day, over 1,000 faithful attended and received Holy Qurbana from the blessed hands of His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV. During the course of the conference, the youth were also presented with and discussed vital matters that pertain to the future of our existence as Assyrians in our ancient homeland,

modern-day Iraq. This Assyrian Church of the East Youth Conference strongly supports the rightful demand of countless thousands of Assyrians residing in the Nineveh Plain region of Iraq to autonomous self-rule in a free, stable and democratic Iraq. Our concern is not a political matter, rather it is a God-given right to the Assyrian people to inhabit and possess homeland that is their own, since both Sacred Scripture and history will attest to the fact that the Assyrians are the indigenous people of Iraq. Therefore, this conference loudly raises its voice and supports any and all endeavors on the part of the international community and the United Nations to promote, insure and constitutionally guarantee the right of self-rule (autonomy) of the Assyrians in the region of the Nineveh Plain. Such a guarantee will not only restitute the long-lost rights of the Assyrians in Iraq as that country’s indigenous people, but it will also help foster and promote peace, stability and democracy in that country. The 23rd Annual Conference of the Assyrian Church of the East Youth Association of the North American parishes will be hosted by the Mar Yosip Khnanisho Parish and held on the July 4th weekend, 2009, in San Jose, California.

July 9, 2008

Hymn of Praise (TESHBOKHTA) ܒ ܬ

The Theology of the Church of the East has been stated briefly and clearly in the following Hymn of

Teshbokhta Composed by Mar Babai the Great in the sixth century A.D. a noted theologian of the Church

ܒ ܐ ܪ ܕ ܐ ܓ ܒ ܪ ܒ ܝ ܒ ܬܐ ܓ ܢ ܕ ܐ ܙ ܐ ܒ ܘܐܗܐ ܬ

ܐ ܐܕܐ ܕܒ ܕ ܠ ܐ ܗ ܒ ܐ ܕ ܒ ܒ ܬܐ ܒ . ܬܐܘ ܐ ܕ ܬܐܓ ܓ ܐ

ܐ ܓ ܐ

ܐ ܐ ܕܐ ܐ ܒ ܘ ܉ One is Christ the Son of God,

ܓ ܪ ܀ ܒWorshiped by all in two natures;

ܐ ܒ ܐ ܘܬܗ ܉ ܒܐIn His Godhead begotten of the Father,

ܐ ܒ ܙ ܐ ܪ ܀ ܕWithout beginning before all time;

ܬܗ ܒܐ ܉ ܘIn His humanity born of Mary,

ܐ ܐ ܓ ܐ ܒ ܒ ܙ ܀ ܒ

In the fullness of time, in a body united;

ܐ ܐ ܘܬܗ ܉ ܐNeither His Godhead is of the nature of the mother,

ܐ ܒ ܐ ܬܗ ܐ ܀ ܘNor His humanity of the nature of the Father;

ܘܢ ܐ ܒ ܉ The natures are preserved in their Qnumas,

ܐ ܘܬ ܐ ܒ ܐ ܕ ܨܘ ܀ ܒIn one person of one Sonship.

ܐ ܘܬ ܐ ܕܐ ܉ ܘܐ

And as the Godhead is ܐ ܘܬ ܐ ܐ ܐ

܀ ܬthree substances in one nature,

ܐ ܒ ܘܬܗ ܕ ܒ ܐ ܉ ܗLikewise the Sonship of the Son is

ܐ ܨܘ ܪ ܀ ܒin two natures, one person.

ܐ ܕ ܬ

܉ ܗSo the Holy Church has learnt,

ܐ ܐ ܕܗܘ ܒ ܘܕܐ ܒ ܀ ܕܬto confess the Son, who is Christ.

Bible Verses

Romans 5:8 "God has here manifested his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Luke 17:21 "Neither will they say, Behold, it is here! or, behold, it is there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you."

Matthew 22:37 "Jesus said to him, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might and with all your mind." Jesus said in: Matthew 11:29-30 "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and meek in my heart: and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Romans 6:4 "Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death, so that as Jesus Christ rose from the dead by the glory of his Father, even so we also shall walk in a new life." Mark 8:35 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the sake of my gospel will save it.”