Message from Bishop Francis Kalabat regarding Fr. Bashar Sitto
A Message from Bishop Francis Kalabat
October 26, 2022
My Dear Brothers and Sisters,
It is with a heavy heart that I accept the decision of Father Bashar Sitto to leave active ministry and to no longer serve as a priest. Father Sitto has been dispensed by His Holiness Pope Francis from the obligations of priesthood and celibacy.
God has a plan for each and every one of us, and while sometimes we may not know or understand His plan, we must accept and embrace it. Please pray for him.
On behalf of the Chaldean Diocese, we are all grateful for the ministry of Fr. Bashar during his time as a priest and for all that he has contributed to our Church.
Please continue to pray for all our clergy, seminarians, and all those discerning priesthood and religious life.
May God continue to bless you always.
Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat
St. Thomas the Apostle
Chaldean Catholic Eparchy, U.S.A.
ألإخوة والأخوات ألأعزاء
بقلب منكسر قد وافقتُ على قرار اتخذه الاب بشار ستو بالترك الفعلي للكهنوت، وانه سوف لن يمارس الخدمة الكهنوتية بعد الآن. ان الاب بشار ستو قد أُعْفِيَ وَحُلَّ من قبل قداسة البابا فرنسيس من كل التزاماته الكهنوتية والبتولية.
ان الله له مخطط لكل واحد منا، وأحيانا قد لا نعرف ما هو مخطط الله لنا، لذا فعلينا ان نتقبله بسرور، فلنصلي من أجله.
نيابة عن الأبرشية الكلدانية: انني أشكر الاب بشار على ما قدمه من الخدمات الروحية خلال مسيرته ككاهن، وعن كل ما قدمه لكنيستنا.
رجائي هو ان تستمروا في الصلاة من اجل جميع الاكليروس، تلامذة وكهنة ومكرسين.
ليبارككم الرب دائما
المطران
مار فرنسيس قلابات
مطران ابرشية مار توما الرسول للكلدان الكاثوليك في اميركا
54-Day Rosary Novena
Prayer to End Abortion
With election season right around the corner, we are Fighting Like Heaven with our brothers and sisters in Christ at the Diocese of Lansing to overcome a challenging new hurdle in our community – also known as The Reproductive Freedom for All Initiative. This Initiative will appear on our November ballot paper as Proposition 3 (Proposal 3). This initiative seeks to enshrine abortion up to, and including, the day of birth in our state constitution. It also seeks to put an end to dozens of laws that currently regulate abortion in the State of Michigan. Some of these laws include getting rid of parental consent, notification laws, and laws that prohibit partial-birth abortion.
What Does This Mean for Us?
Should this proposal prevail, it would make void the existing abortion regulations, which includes a parental consent for minors who want to get an abortion, among many other regulations. This would mean that all individuals, including minors, will have the right to make decisions about prenatal care, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, etc., without parental consent or the consent of anyone else. Additionally, should this proposal go into effect, it would essentially prohibit the state from charging an individual based on “actual, potential, perceived or alleged pregnancy outcomes,” which falls under the categories of abortion, miscarriages, and stillbirths.
What Can We Do?
As faithful, we need to “Fight Like Heaven” and pray as hard as we can to make sure this proposal does not prevail, pray for those in our community considering abortion and most importantly, pray for the unborn children at risk of abortion. If we each do our part in this, we can overcome this attack on life. With the Blessed Virgin Mary and our steadfastness in the Lord, nothing is impossible, not even this.
Sign up for daily text reminders providing information and inspiration across each of the 54 days by texting “FIGHTLIKEHEAVEN” to 84576 to join in the 54-day Rosary Novena that will run up to polling day, which is November 8, 2022. Also, do not forget to vote – your voice matters and can help save lives!
For more information on how to receive alerts for the Novena, please visit https://www.dioceseoflansing.org/.