Celebrate our community as the Detroit Tigers take the field. Featuring a first pitch by Fr. Pierre Konja and the national anthem by St. Thomas Chaldean Church Choir. Purchase tickets through the official link to receive the exclusive Chaldean Heritage jersey.
A Message from Bishop Francis Kalabat on the Election of His Beatitude Mar Polis III Nona
April 12, 2026
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
On this blessed New Sunday of the Easter season, as my brother bishops and I gathered for the recent Chaldean Synod held in Rome, I write to share with you the joyful news of the election of our new Patriarch, Patriarch-elect Mar Polis III Nona. This election follows much prayerful discernment, and we trust that the Holy Spirit has guided us in choosing a worthy shepherd for our Church in these times of growing challenge and adversity.
At the same time, we offer our heartfelt gratitude to His Beatitude, Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako I, for his years of faithful service to the Chaldean Catholic Church. We thank him for his steadfast leadership, his witness of faith, and his tireless dedication to our people, guiding the Church through times of unprecedented trial. We pray that God may grant him good health, peace, and continued strength in the years to come.
Patriarch-elect Mar Polis III Nona served faithfully as Archbishop of Mosul during a time of great persecution under ISIS, when our faithful endured uncertainty, fear, and suffering. Yet, even in those dark days, he bore witness to the deeper reality of the enduring presence of Christ, meeting that fear and suffering with a faith that overcomes all things.
More recently, he served as the devoted shepherd of the Chaldean Church in Australia and New Zealand, continuing his ministry with the same pastoral zeal and fatherly care entrusted to him.
Reflecting on those difficult years of ministry in Mosul, he once remarked that it was the “best time of my life.” This striking remark does not at all negate or diminish the suffering that was endured; rather, it reveals the depth of his faith: that even in moments of great trial and uncertainty, he experienced the grace of God at work among his flock. It was in those trying times that he reminded the faithful to remain rooted in Christ so as to be sustained in the midst of suffering.
This profound witness of hope, courage, and faith, both in trial and service, has helped to forge within Mar Polis III Nona a pastoral heart that will continue to guide and strengthen us in unity and faithfulness to the Gospel of Christ.
We continue to pray for Mar Polis III Nona as he receives this new ministry of leading the Chaldean Catholic Church through the many challenges of our time. May the Lord grant him wisdom, strength, and perseverance, and sustain all of us as an Easter people, steadfast and ever rooted in the hope of Jesus Christ.
Your Servant in Christ,
+Bishop Francis Y. Kalabat
Bishop of the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle, USA
His Excellency Bishop Francis Kalabat announces the following Presbyteral Assignments, effective August 1, 2026.
Statement from the ChaldeanPatriarchate Regarding the Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle, San
Diego, USA
The Bishop’s Dinner is our largest annual fundraiser, in support of our seminarian fund, priest retirement fund, and the bishop’s office. Our 2026 Bishop’s Dinner took place on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at Larsa Palace in Warren, Michigan-after our three-day Ba’utha fast on Ba’utha Thanksgiving. By the grace of God and the generosity of our community, the Bishop’s Dinner successfully raised over
$650,000!
Save the date for our next Bishop’s Dinner on Thursday, January 21, 2027.
Pastoral Letter for the Occasion of the Great Lent
February 16 – April 5, 2026
Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako
In this short pastoral letter, I want to offer our faithful some essential themes for the Lent, for reflection and meditation, for self-examination, and for spiritual and human renewal. Fasting is not merely a physical abstention from food; rather, it is a space to enter into dialogue with ourselves, to embrace concrete conversion, to seek forgiveness and purification of the soul, so that we may be, as much as possible, “blameless before the Lord our God” (Deuteronomy 18:13).Lent’ fastening is a Passover from sin to grace, in preparation to celebrate the Feast of the Resurrection of Christ with enthusiasm, and joy. Otherwise, it remains an empty practice.
• Lent is a time to deepen faith, to strengthen the meaning of our existence, and to share life with God: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Faith is not a matter of slogans, nor is it confined to praying in church; it must be embodied beyond the church walls and expressed through concrete actions, open hearts, and engaged minds, so that we may offer a wonderful witness of our faith.
• Lent is a space for repentance-renrwal, which Isaac of Nineveh (7th century) describes as a second birth: “Repentance is a second birth from God; what we received in baptism was its pledge. Through repentance we receive His gift. Repentance is the open door of mercy for all who desire it, and through it they find divine mercy” (The Ascetical Homilies, p. 250). Lent is a time to examine ourselves before God, to cleanse what defiles us, to repair what has been damaged in our relationships, and to seek healing by asking forgiveness from God for our sins, from those whom we have offended, and by forgiving those who have offended us—putting into practice the prayer we repeat daily: “Forgive us as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12). Asking for pardon is not weakness, but a strength possessed only by the courageous.
On this occasion, I call upon all those who publish unfounded criticisms about the clergy (servants of the Church)—whether out of ignorance (such as regarding the story of the Book of Jonah and the Chaldean identity), or out of resentment because their views are not adopted, or to get money from parties hostile to the Church, I call them to return to their conscience and cease their destructive writings spread through Social Medias. This is a moment of awareness for positive change and for attaining inner peace and overwhelming joy. Unfortunately, criticism has become a phenomenon (a trend) with no relation to conscious, constructive critique aimed at reform. Jesus says: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
• Lent is a time for personal and communal prayer, in and with the Church, especially through participation in the Holy Mass. Prayer transforms us from within and enlightens us to act rightly. This transformation occurs when we attend to the words and embody them, so that events and realities become signs of a deeper life and a lofty mystical relationship. Prayer grants us strength to remain committed to our faith amid life’s many challenges and enables us to transform pain into hope: “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
• Lent is a time to contemplate the steps of Christ’s life, listening attentively to His words in the Gospel, to discover their meaning and their connection to our lives. With wonder, we receive from Him what we lack and integrate it into ourselves, so that we may be transformed into the image and likeness of Christ. These stages open before us new horizons for profound spiritual, human, and moral transformation. This imitation of Christ has led many Christians to give their lives for Him in martyrdom. Jesus says clearly to Nicodemus—and to us—“No one can enter unless he is born from above-God’’ (John 3:3–5). This is His teaching. “Let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:16).
• Lent is a space for serving the poor more effectively. We fast in order to save money for charity, to assist our needy brothers and sisters directly or through our parish Church—not to spend it on ourselves at Easter. Jesus says: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
• In light of the unprecedented regional and global circumstances, let us pray with confidence for peace and for an end to destructive conflicts and wars. Let us ask this of the Lord who promised us: “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, He will give you” (John 16:23).
I pray the Lord to bless us all, so that this distinctive liturgical season may become an excellent beginning—a fresh start—and a radiant space for spiritual and human growth.
Patriarch Luis Cardinal Sako speaks about our Chaldean identity, history, and the importance of unity.
