Our Lady of the Fields Camp Renovations
Our Lady of the Fields Camp and Retreat Center, located in Brighton, Michigan, has been undergoing some major changes lately! A place where family, fun, and faith all run parallel, Our Lady of the Fields has been providing kids and families with endless opportunities to enjoy their summer at camp since 2019.
In order for the camp to provide its campers and retreatants with the best experience possible, the OLF Oversight Committee launched a $5 million Capital Campaign for the camp back in February of 2023. This campaign will give the camp a chance to update their facilities, add essential amenities, and enhance the activities made available for all families who attend, to ensure they have an unforgettable experience during their time at the camp.
Due to our community’s ongoing generosity and support, the camp has been able to make quite a few changes already! Some of those changes include a newly renovated kitchen, new floors in the dining area, updated cabins and bathrooms, new lake inflatables, and even a newly restored pontoon. We couldn’t have made these renovations without your help and support and we hope to see more new and exciting changes every day!
Please visit OLF.camp to see how you can contribute to the campaign, or to learn more.
Diocese Launches Homeschool Program
Our Diocese, with the support of Bishop Francis Kalabat, is excited to announce the Chaldean Catholic Homeschool program. There has been an increasing demand from the families in our community to start a program through the church that will allow them to educate their children at home. The Homeschool Association Committee is excited to roll out this initiative in the Fall of 2023. The ultimate goal for this program is to eventually create a homeschool hybrid program that will launch in the Fall of 2024.
Further, there will be two identical information nights for parents to come and learn more!
June 20th, 2023 at 7pm at Mother of God
June 21st, 2023 at 7 pm at Holy Martyrs
For more information about this exciting new program, please go to chaldeanchurch.org/homeschool.
Archbishop’s Gala
The annual Archbishop’s Gala is Sacred Heart Major Seminary’s main event in support of tomorrow’s priests, deacons, and lay leaders.
The gala took place on June 8, 2023, and our Diocese was happy to attend in support of our seminarians. Many of our Chaldean seminarians were in attendance and helped to ensure a wonderful event. God bless the Archdiocese of Detroit & Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Please continue to keep them and our seminarians in your prayers!
To see more from the event, please visit the Diocese social media pages.
The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: A Celebration of Divine Love
The Feast Day of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is a significant event in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church. This feast day, which falls on the Friday after Corpus Christi, is dedicated to honoring the compassionate and merciful heart of Jesus Christ. It is a time for us to reflect upon the divine love and grace that flows from the heart of our Savior to us.
The origins of this feast day can be traced back to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun, who claimed to have received private revelations from Jesus during the 17th century. According to her accounts, Jesus revealed his burning heart as a symbol of His never ending love for humanity. He expressed His desire for a feast to be established in honor of his Sacred Heart, emphasizing the need for repentance, adoration, and devotion to Him. In 1856, Pope Pius IX established the Feast of the Sacred Heart as obligatory for the whole Church, to be celebrated on the Friday after Corpus Christi.
The Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus holds profound spiritual significance for Catholics. It serves as a reminder of the depth of God’s love for us, as shown through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The Sacred Heart is a symbol of divine mercy, compassion, and forgiveness, inviting believers to embrace and reflect those virtues in their daily lives. It calls for a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, deepening one’s relationship with Him and fostering a spirit of devotion and adoration.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us!
Chrism Mass
On April 4, 2023, Mother of God Church held the Chrism Mass, a significant Mass during holy week for Catholics across the world. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Francis Kalabat, along with all diocesan clergy. Bishop Kalabat blessed the holy oils used for various sacraments in all parishes.
The holy oils blessed by Bishop Kalabat during the Chrism Mass are essential to several sacraments in the Catholic Church. The Oil of Catechumens is used during the sacrament of baptism, while the Oil of the Sick is used to anoint the sick and the dying. The Oil of Chrism, which is a mixture of olive oil and balsam, is used during the sacraments of confirmation and ordination, as well as in the consecration of altars and churches.
The Chrism Mass is also an opportunity for the priests to renew their commitments to their vocation. During the Mass, they renew the promises they made during their ordination, which include a promise of obedience to their bishop and a commitment to celibacy.
The Mass was a powerful reminder of the significance of the sacraments in the lives of Catholics and the role of the church and clergy in nurturing their spiritual journey.
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Mass for Those with Special Needs
On Wednesday, March 29, Bishop Francis Kalabat celebrated Mass for those with Special Needs at Holy Martyrs Chaldean Catholic Church, along with another mass on Saturday, April 1, at Mother of God Chaldean Catholic Church. There was a fellowship that followed both Masses.
During Wednesday’s mass, Bishop Francis focused on how, as humans, we strive for perfection but not in the divine way that God is looking for. “We try to be a perfect person without God. And that’s the problem of today.”
He went on to say that because of Jesus’ wounds and sufferings, he understands our pain and he wants us to come to him so that he can strengthen us in our weaknesses. “By his wounds, we are healed. God understands our sickness and infirmities because He Himself personally experienced them. So let’s not be disturbed by them.”
The focus during Saturday’s mass was that children have always played a role in God’s plan for salvation. “It’s important to have children in the Palm Sunday procession. ALL kinds of children; that includes the disabled,” he said.” He went on to say that it is a God-given grace that we celebrated today’s mass for those with special needs on Palm Sunday.
Bishop Francis reminds us that we are called by Jesus to love ALL children from all our hearts and to help them carry their crosses. May we continue to pray for our brothers and sisters who face any sort of disability, that God continues to guide them and heal them!
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Lenten Hiking Trip 2023
On Saturday, March 18, Fr. Marcus Shammami and Fr. John Jaddou led a group of hikers to Saugatuck, Michigan for their annual Lenten hike. The day started off with Mass being celebrated at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Douglas, Michigan, before heading to Saugatuck Dunes State Park for a 4 hour, 6.2 mile hike along Lake Michigan. While the trails were cold and snowy, it did not stop the hikers from enjoying the peacefulness of all the nature around them and soaking Jesus in every step of the way.
Thank you to everyone who attended and thank you to Fr. Marcus and Fr. John for leading such a fruitful Lenten hike. We look forward to seeing everyone next year!
2023 Bishop’s Dinner Recap
The Chaldean community gathered for its 3rd Annual Bishop’s Dinner—a benefit dinner for the bishop’s office in support of our diocese, seminarians, and priests.
Subdeacon and Lector Courses
Our Chaldean Diocese would like to inform those interested in becoming lectors and/or sub deacons that the last day of registration will be on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. To register for the bible study lectures in Arabic or English, please contact Shamasha Khairy at (248) 882-5445. Classes are every Wednesday evening at Mother of God Church at 6:00 PM. For those interested in attending the class via zoom, the ID number and passcode will be provided to you by Shamasha Khairy.
تود ابرشية مار توما الرسول ان تعلن عن برنامجها الخاص للمتقدمين لرسامة الشمامسة، ان يحضروا عددا من الدروس، من ضمنها دراسة الكتاب المقدس، فان يوم الاربعاء الموافق 22/ آذار يعتبر آخر يوم للتسجيل، والراغبين في التسجيل عليهم الحضور الى كنيسة ام الله في السادسة مساء اليوم المذكور. ومن تفوته فرصة التسجيل في اليوم الذكور، عليه الانتظار لسنة 2024. والدروس ستكون في كنيسة ام الله في الساعة السادسة من مساء كل يوم اربعاء، صف باللغة الانكليزية وصف آخر باللغة العربية.