Our Church, the Good Shepherd Chaldean Church in Toronto, witnessed
on March 19, 2006 a profound celebration for the feast of St.
Joseph which synchronized with the sixth anniversary for the
opening of our Church and Centre in Toronto IN March 2000. The
celebration also witnessed the announcement to take the required
steps and obligations by our parishioners in order to continue
finishing works, decoration and furnishing our Church; by the
Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and intercession of Holy Mother
of God and prayers and supplication of St. Joseph. This accomplishment
will come through pure support of our blessed parishioners;
who responded in the past and now wholeheartedly to the calls
made by his grace our Archbishop Hanna Zora to fulfill required
financial obligations. Needless to mention that our Church paid
in the last six years approximately two million Canadian dollars
in an average of C$330,000 per annum, an endeavor that led to
reduce our monthly mortgage payments from more than C$10,000
six years ago to only C$3,000 currently. This is an achievement
that would not happen but through the Grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, prayers of our Holy Mother Mary, intercession of our
saints and the zeal of our parishioners. In addition to extraordinary
measures taken by our Archbishop, who saved tenths of thousands
which had to be spent on administration, social and living needs.
Thanks to Almighty God and the Divine Mercy, thanks to our parishioners
and thanks to our Archbishop Hanna Zora for the life of asceticism
and thanks to the league of helpers who served our Church and
parishioner voluntarily. In view of these circumstances filled
with thanksgiving to the Divine Mercy for the blessings bestowed
on our parish, the celebration was an outcome for the bonds
of honor and love that tie our people together in one hand and
tie them to Almighty God on the other hand.
The celebration commenced at 11:00 am with
reciting the Holy Rosary interposed by spiritual songs and hymns
glorifying the name of St. Joseph and Holy Mother of God Virgin
Mary. The Matins according to the Chaldean Liturgy succeeded
the Holy Rosary. Through the morning prayer our deacons and
deaconesses along with group of the Chaldean School students
in our Church recited liturgical prayers and songs drawn from
the wealthy well of the history of the Chaldean Church, songs
that echo across the history. Then, His Grace our Archbishop
Hanna Zora celebrated the Holy Mass. He was assisted by a large
number of deacons and alter boys along with deaconesses to glorify
the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, in
a celebrations that corresponded to the celebration of the Carobeem
and the Seraphim in the heavens. On the other hand the attendance
of students of the Good Shepherd Chaldean School had garnished
our ceremony and disseminated a smell that transcended the smell
of the incense! All this was accompanied by a significant number
of attendants that exceeded one thousand and five hundred parishioners,
all surrounding the Holy Alter praying and glorifying the Holy
Trinity. This added a holy atmosphere to our celebration. Thus
it was an ideal, real and exemplary spiritual celebration from
deep hearts to honor St Joseph the savior of our Savior and
care-giver to Son of God and righteous fiancé of Mother
of our Lord, a celebration that is worthy to be followed by
others.
After the mass ended, the parishioners proceeded
in a Holy Procession pioneered by the students of our Chaldean
School, followed by dear deacons and deaconesses and His Grace
our Archbishop, to the upper Church hall. In the upper Church
hall members of the confraternity of love and mercy in our Church
had prepared the place to performe a social gathering for this
marvelous occasion. This gathering also witnessed cutting a
ribbon to announce the readiness and preparedness to take required
steps and measures to start the finishing work, decoration and
furnishing our church as mentioned earlier. Now singing the
Chaldean hymn: “Holy is God, Holy is the Omnipotent, Holy is
the Immortal…have mercy on us”, our Archbishop along with senior’s
representative, deacons and deaconess and the attendance cut
the ribbon amidst chanting and cheers of everybody.
During this gathering, representatives from
various activities in our church gave talks to express their
happiness and gratitude in this Holy event. Dr, Muthana Gorgees
was the first speaker on behalf of the parishioners. Expressing
his happiness, Dr, Gorgees urged our parishioners to embrace
together and rally around our Chaldean Church in Toronto and
surrounding areas. And in a precise and concise presentation,
he encompassed the role of the Chaldean in the history concluding
on the responsibility that is put on our shoulders as Chaldean
to carry on the path of our ancestors. The second speaker was
Deacon Petros Rayis and he talked on behalf of the Parish Council.
Mr. Rayis thanked our Archbishop for his exemplary administration
and unlimited spiritual services. The third speaker was Deacon
Petros Shamon and he talked on behalf of the deacons and deaconesses.
Mr. Shamon expressed his gratitude to our Archbishop for the
advices and supports that he gives to the deacons in order to
optimize their services to the Holy Alter, a support that had
an obvious result on the performance of our deacons and deaconesses.
He also thanked our dear deacons and deaconesses for reviving
the liturgical Chaldean prayers especially the Matins and Vespers
and concluded his speech wishing our Church all the best in
the future. The fourth speaker was Mr.Alex Askender and he talked
on behalf of the members of the preparatory committee in our
Church. Mr.Askender promised our Archbishop and parishioners
to take every possible step to serve the Church spiritually
and socially voluntarily. It is worthy to mention here that
the preparatory committee in our Church was constituted by His
Grace our Archbishop Hanna Zora recently and he invited everyone
to work on this council, however more than fifty volunteers
approached and presented themselves as members of this committee.
The fifth speaker was Mr. Thaer Sanna and he talked on behalf
of the Athletic Committee in our Church. Mr. Sanna summarized
the achievements of our athletic teams in 2005 and promised
to exhaust all the efforts along with other coaches and coordnators
to attain advanced positions in this year 2006. The sixth speaker
was Dr. Raneen Al-Bazi and he talked on behalf of the Confraternity
of Love & Mercy in our Church. Dr. Al-Bazi’s speech has
come to reflect the level of intellectuality, spiritual maturity
and zeal that the youth of our Church posses, while they draw
the power, hope and joy from the pure sources of the Holy Bible
and the teaching of the Holy Catholic Church.
In concluding of the celebration, members of the preparatory
committee presented food, refreshments and fruits to the attendance
amidst songs and praises raised by or deaconesses and choir.
Eventually, the parishioners ended this gathering filled with
blesses and joy, congratulating each other and congratulating
our Archbishop in this Holy occasion. The attendance’s promised
to accomplish the second phase of our Church in the near future,
in accordance to the Holy Spirit guidance, the willing of
Almighty God through prayers and intercession of Holy Mother
of God Virgin Mary and prayers of St. Joseph and through pure
efforts of the parishioners. After all it was really a day
of Joy and Thanksgiving!
The Light
