Fr. Bryan Kassa celebrated his first year as a priest on July 2nd, 2017. He is currently an associate pastor at St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church in Troy, Michigan. 

 

Q: Tell us a little bit about your call to the priesthood. 

 

I don’t think I was taking my faith seriously until I was dating a girl who really challenged me to confess my sins. I thought, “I don’t need to do that, I’ll just confess directly to God.” 

 

She said, “Do you believe that the Holy Spirit has been guiding the Catholic Church for the past two thousand years?” I said, “Of course, I do.”

 

“Do you think you’re smarter than the Holy Spirit?”

 

I thought, “Wow, she’s right. Who am I to say I don’t want to confess my sins to a priest?” I started to understand what the Church teaches is true and I fell in love with the Church. That was the beginning of my vocation. 

 

I see now how God was working in that situation. The Church was able to answer all my questions rationally and logically, and I just started to love the Church even more.

 

Q: What about the priesthood do you enjoy most?

 

When I was in high school, I wanted to be a pediatrician. But the “Chaldean” in me didn’t want to wait eight years to finish college and so I changed my major to accounting. With that being said, I always wanted to be a doctor even as a young child because I wanted to bring healing into the lives of others. At the time, I didn’t understand how that desire would come to fulfillment, but now I do. As a priest, I am able to bring healing into the lives of others but it is a different kind of healing—it is spiritual healing. Like the body, the soul is a living component and needs healing. The same way God uses a doctor to heal the bod, he uses a priest to heal the soul. The soul can get sick from sin and/or previous traumatic experiences, and God in His wisdom uses a priest to heal His people through the Holy Bible, the Sacraments, and other forms of healing prayers. That is one of the things that I enjoy most about being a priest.  

 

Q: What is it about the priesthood that you enjoy least?

 

The Chaldean language is a struggle for me in my priesthood.  I love being Chaldean and I love our traditions and customs but the Chaldean language doesn’t love me back sometimes (that is supposed to be funny in case you didn’t laugh). As a priest, I have to use the Chaldean language to read the Holy Bible, funeral prayers and other Sacramental readings. Besides reading it, I have to speak Chaldean to my parishioners—not only in my homilies but also in one-on-one conversations, and it leaves me tongue tied at times; however, my parishioners are very encouraging and motivate me each day telling me that I am growing in my reading and speech. My response to them at times is, “If I am improving, why do I see you laughing at me at times?” which makes them laugh more, and I laugh too. It is important to be able to laugh at yourself. I like the quote, “Take your work seriously, but yourself lightly.”

 

Q: What have you enjoyed most about being at St. Joseph?

 

I love the faith of the people here. The majority of them know what a privilege it is to worship their Christian faith freely and they don’t take that for granted. That is something that many of us Chaldean Americans will never experience or understand. They worship with their whole heart! It is truly inspiring. Best of all, they tell me that they pray for me, so I know God hears the prayers of this faithful community!

 

Q: What does a typical day for you like?

 

I like to wake up at 7:30 am usually. I like to go for a run in the morning to help give my body the natural chemicals that it needs to help me stay focused.  Running helps me channel any anxiety, fear, or worry that may try to creep its way into my life. After taking care of the body that God gave me, I take care of my soul by praying a Holy Hour in the adoration chapel. During my Holy Hour, I read the Holy Bible, which is God’s Word today for me! Even though He was speaking to His prophets thousands of years ago, the Holy Bible makes God’s Word alive today! I need to hear His voice. I need Him to guide me in my upcoming appointments. I need to fill myself up with Jesus before I even dare speak to people about spiritual matters. Next, I celebrate Mass then the meetings begin for the day. Those meetings can range from a married couple struggling in their marriage to someone who wants to learn how to grow in their personal relationship with Jesus. In between what I mentioned, I have to return phone calls, e-mails, text messages, visit people in the hospital, take care of people who want to speak to a priest without an appointment, and any other fun adventure which presents itself in between. It seems like a lot—and it is—but I love it.  It is pretty incredible what God can do through a single person in one day.   

 

Q: What can you tell us about Liquor Store Evangelization? How did it start?

 

Funny question! My parents are hard workers, and I always wanted to help them as much as possible at their store when I had free time. I did not enjoy being at the store, but it gave my parents some time off which made me happy. With time, I realized how miserable I was becoming at the store. I would get annoyed when I would see or hear a customer coming into the store. I couldn’t wait for them to leave at times and then one day it hit me—“What if that customer is Jesus?” So, I prayed this prayer, and my miserable life at the store began to change:

 

“Jesus, I don’t see You in these customers. I have a hard time loving them, but You love them. I am not sure what You love about them but You do. Since You love them and I am struggling to love them and to see You in them, I give You permission to love them through me! Help me to get out of the way!”  

 

After that, I slowly started to feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit direct me to engage in conversations with the customers rather than rushing them out of the door. I wouldn’t wish people “good luck” after they played lottery, I would wish them “many blessings.” I wouldn’t wish them a “good day/night,” I would wish them a blessed day/night. When people asked me how I was doing, I would respond, “I woke up today, so for that reason alone, I am doing amazing.”  

 

I talked my parents into getting rid of the pornography and condoms which were sold at the store which were against what we believed in as Catholics and when a customer would ask why we don’t sell condoms and pornography, I would bring up God’s law rather than man’s law—it was an opportunity to teach others what I believe in rather than hide what I believe in. If the “truth” that Jesus talks about will set people free, then I wanted my customers to be free from their addictions of alcohol, cigarettes, lottery, etc.

 

Our store is near a hospital, so when I would see a white hospital bracelet around their wrist, I would ask if they were okay and engage in conversation with them, reminding them that Jesus is the Divine Physician and that He loves them.  Often times, I would offer to pray with them and on them right then and there.

 

Q: Tell us a bit about your spirituality. What is the most spiritually rewarding part of being a priest?

 

I like the spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux. She speaks a lot about the “Little Way” to get to Heaven…how “little” souls—because they are weak, broken, and not perfect—need a shorter and easier way to get to Heaven because of their limitations and weaknesses. She really taught me a lot about God’s love and mercy because I often saw Him as a mean judge only. My spirituality is a combination of God’s love and mercy, but also as a Father who wants the best for His children and who continues to challenge His children so they can get to Heaven. As a priest, I love to be able to do the same with my parishioners…teach them about God’s love and mercy but also challenge them to be better Christians and to follow Christ without reserve.  

 

Q: What has been the hardest thing about being a priest?

 

The hardest thing as a priest is finding a balance between being a happy, holy, and healthy priest. I believe that a lot of it has to do with the evil one.  

 

I think that since a priest wants to save souls and the devil wants to ruin souls, it is hard to not fall for the devil’s tricks and lies. He tries His hardest to tell me that a particular person has no hope and that it is pointless for me to pray for that individual. Or the evil one tries to lie to me and trick me into thinking that I am not a good priest and have nothing to offer. He tries to make me believe that I am superman and that I don’t need a lot of sleep in hopes of me burning out. He tries to make me believe that I am super holy and don’t need to pray at times. He tries to trick me into thinking that I am the Savior of the world when in actuality, the world has a Savior already. His name is Jesus, in case you were wondering.

 

That is why it is important to stay close to Christ. To build that ongoing relationship with Him, not only as a priest, but also in general as a Christians living in this secular world.  

 

Q: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

 

In the next 5 years, I see myself still struggling with my Chaldean but loving every second of being a priest!  

This month, a group of missionaries will travel to Lebanon to give medical and spiritual aid to displaced Christians who have been forced to leave their homes due to wars and persecution. The team will be led by Fr. Fadi Philip, a Chaldean Catholic priest and the pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Warren, Michigan. His team will visit displaced families throughout the region to give them much needed medical and spiritual support. In addition to Fr. Fadi, the team includes five medical doctors: Ranin Paolus, M.D.; Maha Bishara, D.M.D.; Sara Alsakka; Michael Haddow, D.M.D.; and Rand Touma, M.D. The following is an interview with Fr. Fadi regarding the mission:

1. On December 26th of this year, you and a team of volunteers will travel to Lebanon on a medical and spiritual mission trip to help our displaced brothers and sisters. Although you have been on a number of mission trips around the Middle East, this will be the first medical and spiritual mission trip. How did you first get involved in these mission trips and what makes this trip different than the others before it?

Fr. Fadi: There are about 15,000 – 20,000 Christian refugees in Lebanon, so the need there is very great. In Lebanon, many of them have been stuck there for the past 3-4 years and are not sure when they will even be able to leave. To make matters worse, life in Lebanon is very expensive and people will generally focus on providing for food and a home for their families. Because of this, there is very little money to spend on other things, like medical care, and this is why many will only go to the doctor’s only when they get a health problem.Because they cannot afford to go to the doctor’s for a regular check-up and many cannot afford medical care at all.
Our main purpose in this mission trip is to help treat the refugees their in whatever way we can help them. There will be two physicians and two dentists travelling with me to help treat those who need medical care. Our goal, however, is not just a medical one but also a spiritual one, and I want to bring them the message that our Eparchy cares for them and loves them…that we are all one Church and that they have brothers and sisters that care for them and want to help them. As Christians, we are all called to help those who are most in need and to show them Jesus Christ by our words and actions. In addition to praying with the families, I will also be holding Bible studies for them.

2. Spiritually and practically, what are some things that you learned from these trips?

Fr. Fadi: They have changed my life and the way that I look at my vocation as a Christian. Jesus asks of all Christians to go to those who are in need and to help them in whatever way you can: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me’ (Matt. 25: 35-40). Jesus is in every one of these people that we serve. It is as Mother Teresa says when she was serving the less fortunate in her own ministry: “I have an opportunity to be with Jesus 24 hours a day.” She said this because she was truly able to see Jesus in everyone that she met or helped.

3. Adopt a Refugee has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. What is Chaldean Catholic Charities (of which Adopt a Refugee is a branch) and how have you seen Chaldean Catholic Charities help our displaced brothers and sisters in need?

Fr. Fadi: The Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle seems to be the most involved in helping the our brothers and sisters who are refugees. Currently, we are helping about 650 families in Lebanon, 250 families in Jordan, and 200 families in Syria. In Iraq, MERCI has helped to start and fund 6 clinics throughout Iraq, helping to provide prescription drugs and medical care to our refugees. We also have programs, in Jordan and Lebanon as well, that help our refugees with affording medication. MERCI and Help Iraq also support special cases of people who need a procedure or surgery done because of medical emergencies and cannot afford its great costs.
We also have Students 2 Students (S2S), a program started by Help Iraq that involves college students in this Eparchy helping college students in Iraq, helping them with things like supplies, living costs, and transportation costs. We also have St. Jude Iraq, which specifically helps children. All of these organizations have been doing a great job, and they could not do any of it if it wasn’t for our community’s generous support.

4. What seems to be the greatest need of our displaced brothers and sisters?

Fr. Fadi: Their physical needs are many…they struggle to make enough to pay for rent, food and medication costs. But what struck me most is how much they hunger for Jesus, especially Jesus in the Mass. Once, I was on a mission trip in Turkey around Christmas time and I saw people crowding outside of a closed church. They held and kissed the main doors of the church as they said their prayers, praying everything that they knew and remembered, like the Lakhu Maran and the Qadeesha Alaha. During that trip, as we celebrated the Mass with them, many of them began to sob in joy as they received the Eucharist, as many of them had not been able to receive the Eucharist or go to a Mass for a number of years, some having been without Mass for 10 years!
Another story that I can remember is that we were celebrating Mass in an apartment building in a room on the 5th floor. Many had heard that Mass was being celebrated and had come to hear it. The entire hall and the stairway all the way down to the first floor was filled with people who simply wanted to hear the Mass. Not expecting the great amount of people who came to the Mass, I had to break each host into multiple pieces for everyone who came to receive.

5. In your estimate, how many displaced Christians are there that Chaldean Catholic Charities is trying to reach? How can one help to support the mission of Chaldean Catholic Charities?

Fr. Fadi: In Lebanon, there are currently 650 families that are being helped, but there are still around 2,000 more that need help. One can help by either donating to Chaldean Catholic Charities or by simply praying for our brothers and sisters who are displaced and for the many groups that help to serve them.

If you would like to donate specifically to this mission trip, you can either contact Fr. Fadi (email below) or donate through Chaldean Catholic Charities, writing ‘Lebanon Mission’ in the memo.
If you are interested in helping with this mission or future missions, or just would like more information, you can reach Fr. Fadi by email at [email protected].

 

If you’d like to donate to the Lebanon Mission, you can do so by clicking here

To the Faithful of St. Thomas the Apostle Chaldean Catholic Diocese. Through the grace of baptism every Christian has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Each of us have the ability to bless. To be clear I have not given Najeeb Awad to have any special authority of healing or blessing over anyone. Also to be clear Mr. Najeeb Awad is not a priest. Mr. Najeeb Awad paid a visit and asked for a blessing from Bishop Francis Kalabat in which the blessing was given. This blessing did in no way mean endorsing the prayer services that Mr. Awad is doing in people’s homes.

Dear friends,

I write to you while in Baghdad, Iraq as we prepare for the upcoming Synod of the Chaldean Church in Rome.

I wish to let you know that I am currently assisting the Religious Advisory Board for the organization In Defense of Christians, a non-profit organization advocating for the human rights of Middle Eastern Christians and for the preservation of Christianity in the Middle East. This October 24-26, average citizens will join with Christian leaders, both American and Middle Eastern, for the 2017 IDC Conference:American Leadership and Securing the Future of Christians in the Middle East. I encourage everyone to pray for this intention and if possible and if anyone can attend this important gathering and join with people around the world in advocating for U.S. humanitarian aid to victims of genocide in Iraq and Syria, including aid for Christian communities who have been ministering to Christian genocide survivors. Advocates will also be pushing for increased international recognition of the Armenian Genocide, the Safety and Security of Lebanon and more transparency in identifying individuals or groups who supported ISIS’ genocide against Christians and campaign of terror. These issues are vital and it is up to us to advocate for the U.S. government to stand with Middle Eastern Christians.  Thank you and God bless.

+Francis

CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO REGISTER

https://indefenseofchristians.org/idc-2017-summit/#register

 

Special guests:

First profession of vows takes place after the two-year period of novitiate is completed. The novice prepares to make her first profession of poverty, chastity and obedience. She may renew these vows every year for a period of six years before her final commitment.
Please keep Sr. Lourde in your prayers!

Today the Vatican has declared that Bp. Emmanuel Shaleta had become the permanent Bishop of St. Peter’s Chaldean Catholic Diocese centered in San Diego. We offer our heartfelt prayers to the faithful of that Diocese and also for their new shepherd.

This has left the Chaldean Diocese of Mar Addai in Canada vacant. The Vatican have also appointed me as the temporary administrator to the diocese until a permanent Bishop is ordained or assigned to it. This new assignment for me is in addition to the St. Thomas Diocese. So please pray for the faithful in Canada and also pray for me that God grant me the wisdom and strength to fulfill His Will and balance His mission between the two dioceses.

Thank you. Praised be the name of Jesus! Both now and forever.

On July 21, 2017 Bishop Francis attended Saint Lawrence Seminary Chapel in Mount Calvary, Wisconsin to witness our community member, Faris Najor take his first vows in the Capuchin order.

Faris took profession in his first vows today as others celebrated in jubilee of the renewal of their vows. Faris Najor had a few family members as well as close friends who also attended the ceremony along with or very own Bishop Francis. We offer or prayers of continual direction and blessings for Faris as he continues his path to the religious life on the Capuchin order.

“We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” Saint Francis of Assisi

I had the privilege to celebrate and pray with our brothers who have been detained.  It was a very emotional celebration and God was praised.  It was a grueling day because it’s a 4 hour drive one way to celebrate an hour and a half with them and then drive back four hours.

Though I was ready to celebrate Mass, the policy of the Prison is that no alcohol of any kind at all can be brought in.  Therefore, I couldn’t today celebrate Mass with them but we made the best of it and prayed the different parts of the Mass that they have not been privileged to celebrate, meditated on this Sunday’s Gospel and then blessed them ALL individually with the relic of the true Cross that I brought with me.

To help maintain their Spiritual lives, the diocese will make the sacrifice of once a week a priest will dedicate their day to celebrate with our dear brothers who are incarcerated as we await permission from the Warden of the jail.  So please pray for our dedicated priests as they sacrifice so much to make Christ present in a powerful way with those in need.

God bless you all and keep working/praying for them.  I was moved to tell them that it isn’t I who has come to pray with them, but the whole community is here because the WHOLE COMMUNITY was there praying with them, advocating for them, blessing them, in tears for them and strengthening them.  I must say, it was powerful for me and there were many tears shed by the inmates.

It has been one month since about 100 of our community members were picked up by US Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and are currently held in detainment. Many members of our community have risen to the call to help heal this wound. Community leaders have answered the call for legal justice and equally important our clergy have led our community in prayer and fasting.
Our beloved Bishop Francis has finally received permission to celebrate mass for the detainees who are currently in Youngstown, Ohio. This mass will be held July 13, 2017 in the afternoon. Bishop Francis asks that we continue to offer up our prayers for the detainees and their families. It is important to remain supportive and prayerful and we also need to pray for the judge and political leaders who can help stop the deportations.
Let us remember Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians as we are one body of Christ. When one of us are in pain, we all hurt. Keep the Bishop in our prayers as well as raise the detainees with prayers of good faith and hope and by God’s will to return home.