Diocese

On Thursday 17 January 2019 His Eminence Mar Meelis Zaia AM, Archbishop of Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon held the third meeting to discuss the establishment and academic teaching commencement of the Nisibis Assyrian Theological College in Sydney. During this meeting Professor Dr. Matthew Del Nevo was appointed as Dean of the theological college. The meeting was held at the St Narsai Assyrian Christian College’s Horsley Park campus and included His Grace Mar Benyamin Elya bishop of Melbourne and New Zealand, Reverend Chorbishop Narsai Youkhanis and Reverend Father Shamuel Shamuel. The meeting covered agenda items that addressed administrative aspects of the College, teaching professors both from within the Assyrian Church globally and from sister institutions, and respective units offered. His Eminence Mar Meelis stressed the importance of this College to the newly appointed Dean, as a college with the vision to teach the holy doctrines of the Assyrian Church of the East to its students who will come from all paths of life; young men who wish to take on high rankings in the Church such as deacon hood, priesthood, etc., teachers who wish to teach Christian Studies at both St Hurmizd Assyrian Primary School and St Narsai Assyrian Christian …

The Assyrian Church of the East Children’s Association (ACECA) in Sydney held its second annual Vacation Bible School (VBS) from Monday 7th January till Friday 11th January 2019 on the premises of St Hurmizd Assyrian Primary School, Greenfield Park. The “Shipwrecked” themed event catered for 200 children that often attend the association’s regular weekly Wednesday night ministry. The VBS included five days of fun and interactive learning, starting at Castaway Sing and Play in the morning and ending with Sail Away Send-off in the afternoons. Stations throughout the day included: Bible Discovery, Ship Rec Games, Imagination Station and KidVid Cinema where seven groups rotated daily to cover all content. Children learnt that when you are lonely, when you are powerless, when you do wrong, Jesus rescues! The children became buddies with the daily bible point characters; Hope the jaguar, Beacon the toucan, Ray the manta ray, Guac the Iguana and Moe the sloth, taking them home with them daily. The children also enjoyed scrumptious treats and lunches each day fitting for anyone who is shipwrecked on an unchartered island. ACECA extends its immense gratitude to all the volunteers who worked behind the scenes leading up to the event, and all …

There is a secret code at St Narsai Christian College – it its seven letters and starts with the letter ‘S’. Can you guess it? Yes, that’s right: success. Students Alana Sellanes, Georgis Ishak, Carmen Dawood, Lana Lazar and Melis Cherie excelled at the recent National Computer Science School (NCSS) Python Coding Competition. From the more than 20,000 students from Australia and New Zealand who participated in the NCSS Challenge Alana, Georgis and Carmen finished at the top of the leaderboard with perfect scores. Not to be outdone Lana and Melis finished with scores of 409/410 and six other students received a high distinction (scores of 380 plus) in the competition. The students competed for five weeks, learning to code by solving interesting and engaging problems.   Coding in action. “Eight questions were released for students to use the python programming language to solve. Python is considered as the base language for computer programming,” Technology and Applied Studies Faculty teacher Laura Stewart said. “This term students have been studying software development and programming and worked collaboratively to complete each question. “By completing each challenge from a project-based approach and with little prior knowledge to computer programming prior to entering this competition, all students have done not only themselves …

The Assyrian Schools Council publishes new Assyrian Language Curriculum including 12 new textbooks   The Assyrian Schools Council of the Assyrian Church of the East in Australia under the leadership of his beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia has published the Assyrian Language Curriculum, which includes twelve textbooks from the kindergarten to tenth grade, as well as a book for beginners who are recently enrolled in the schools. The course is written by Assyrian Language Coordinator Anwar Atto and designed by Mr. Ashur Harmis. Each book is divided into four units of work. Each covers a topic that reflects students’ interests, suits their age and meets their language needs using the modern standard Assyrian language in a communicative and comprehensive method of teaching the language including listening, understanding, speaking, reading and writing skills as well as the Assyrian culture, heritage and history integrated in the teaching of the topics.

His Grace Mar Benyamin Elya attends launch of Sarah Lindenmayer’s new book, Debt of Honour On Saturday 8 September 2018, His Grace Mar Benyamin Elya, Bishop of Victoria and New Zealand attended the launch of Ms Sarah Lindenmayer’s new book, Debt of Honour, at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance. This important new book tells the remarkable and almost unknown history of how one of Australia’s great military heroes, Lieutenant General Sir Stanley George Savige became instrumental in saving tens of thousands of Assyrians in 1918 while a Captain in the Australian Imperial Force. His Grace was accompanied by The Rev’d Fr Antawan Mikhail and gave the closing benediction on the historic occasion, expressing the prayers of the Assyrian Church of the East for the success of the book and congratulating Ms Lindenmayer on many years of devoted research in bringing it to fruition. The launch was well attended by descendants of the late Lieutenant General Savige along with The Hon. Bruce Atkinson MP, President of the Victorian Legislative Council, members of Melbourne Legacy, clergy from the Anglican and Coptic churches, current and former members of Australia’s armed forces and Assyrian community members. The Diocese once again congratulates Ms Lindenmayer on this …

The 31st Annual National Youth Conference was held in the Diocese of the Western United States under the patronage of St. Peter’s Cathedral and Mar Yosip Parish from 4th-9th of July.  The conference agenda included prayer services, lectures, and fellowship for over 350 youth members ranging from 14-30 years old from the various three dioceses in the United States of America. The theme of this conference was ‘Mission Possible: Our Christian Vocation’ according to Isaiah 6:8 which recalls the blessed prophet Isaiah hearing the voice of the Lord and responding, “Here I am. Send me!”  The lectures at the conference explored various aspects of our Christian vocation; Rev. Cor-Bishop Gewargis Bet-Rasho of Los Angeles, California expanded on the family context, Rev. Fr. Gewargis Sulaiman of Chicago, Illinois focused on the religious aspect of a vocation, Rev. Fr. Genard Lazar of Modesto, California taught about our personal encounter with our vocation, and Rev. Deacon Allen Youssefi of San Jose, California presented a lecture on a career oriented vocation. This conference was blessed by the presence of our father prelates: His Grace Mar Aprim Khamis; Bishop of the Western United States, His Grace Mar Awa Royel; Bishop of California and the Secretary …

The 2018 Australian Assyrian of the Year award was presented to His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia AM, Metropolitan of Australia, New Zealand, and Lebanon, in recognition of his selfless devotion and tireless efforts toward the conservation of the Assyrian faith, language, and cultural heritage; and for being a driving force behind the establishment of the first Assyrian Christian college in the Western world. History of His Eminence accomplishments: In 2002 the first stage of St Hurmizd Assyrian Primary School was officially opened. Starting off with only 80 students, today the school accommodates for +700 Kinder to Year 6 students. In 2006 St Narsai Assyrian Christian College was officially established as it welcomed the Year 6 students from St Hurmizd into the high school stage of education. It was with great pleasure that two out of the four stages of the College’s campus in Horsley Park was officially opened in January of 2018, which accommodates for approximately 700 students. Expected capacity once completion is 1200 students. In 2011 Grace Child Care and Early Learning Centre was officially opened. Due to high demand, another preschool was opening at SHAPS in 2012 which was named St Hurmizd Early Learning Centre. His Eminence not …

“There is no greater love than this: that a person would lay down his life for the sake of his friends” -The Gospel of John 15:13 The Diocese of the Eastern United States commemorated the 100th martyrdom anniversary of Mar Benyamin Shimun XXI with the opening of a new monument dedicated in his honor as he sacrificed his own life for the sake of the Holy Church and the Assyrian nation.  Upon arrival to Montrose Cemetery, His Grace Mar Paulus Benjamin, Diocesan Bishop of the Eastern United States of the Assyrian Church of the East began the a prayer service alongside His Grace Mar Gewargis Yonan, Bishop of Chicago of the Ancient Church of the East, and Reverend members of the clergy.  After the prayer service, His Grace Mar Paulus Benjamin extended his sincere gratitude to Dr. Norman Solhkhah and Dr. Edison Ishaya for their efforts in honoring the martyred Catholicos-Patriarch, Mar Beyamin Shimun XXI.  The monument was then officially unrevealed to the public by His Grace Mar Paulus Benjamin, His Grace Mar Gewargis Yonan and Dr. Norman Solhkah. A luncheon followed the opening of the momentum at Crystal Palace Banquets in Mount Prospect, Illinois.  His Grace Bishop Mar Paulus …

“…Upon this rock I will build my church…” -Matthew 16:18 On the Second Sunday of the the Great Fast, after the celebration of the Holy Qurbana, His Grace Mar Aprim Khamis, Bishop of the Western United States, Rev. Archdeacon Frederick Hermiz, Rev. Koshaba Sholimun, and the Rev. Deacons along with the faithful of Mar Yosip Khannisho Parish laid the foundation stone of their church in Gilbert, Arizona. The clergy commenced the service with a procession of chanting antiphons (oniyathe) unto the construction site.  His Grace Mar Aprim Khamis then placed a picture of the blessed Mar Yosip Khannisho into a brick to be the cornerstone of the Church and delivered a brief history of the parish acknowledging the help of the loyal members of the Assyrian Church of the East and Assyrian nation throughout the years. The church is expected to be completed in 6-7 months by the grace of God and the donations of faithful members of the Church worldwide.  If you are interested in donating a personalized brick, which will be placed in the entrance hallway of the new church, please visit www.projectmaryosip.com and for other various donation visit, GoFundMe.com/ProjectMarYosip. Mail can be sent to: PO Box 735 Gilbert, AZ …

His Grace Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of California and the Secretary of the Holy Synod, along with His Grace Mar Paulus Benjamin, Bishop of the Eastern United States, attended the 66th annual National Prayer Breakfast in the nation’s capital on February 8, 2018.  Initiated in 1953, the National Prayer Breakfast allows for government officials and religious leaders to converse and establish professional relationships while bringing glory to the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  The gathering was attended by the President of the United States, Mr. Donald J. Trump, along with approximately 3,500 other attendees including members of congress, various state officials, and religious leaders from all four corners of the earth.

On Sunday 21 January, the new campus of St Narsai Assyrian Christian College, a year 7-12 co-educational Christian independent college of the Assyrian Church of the East was officially opened in a historic ceremony at Horsley Park, New South Wales, Australia.

The Assyrian Church of the East Children’s Association (ACECA) in Sydney held its inaugural Vacation Bible School (VBS) in from Monday 8th to Thursday 11th January 2018. The “Camp Out” themed event catered for 120 children that often attend the Association’s regular weekly Wednesday night ministry. The VBS included two full days of fun and interactive learning; bible explorations, wilderness games, projects with a purpose, bible adventures and arts and crafts. Lanterns that taught them ‘Jesus is the Light’, caravan banks that taught charity through ACERO and GUTSY bears that taught love were just a few projects and activities the children worked on. The third day was the children’s fun day out, where parents were invited to share in the celebrations. A picnic was held at Plough and Harrow (Abbotsbury) where children were booked in to experience the Treetops Adventure Park, trekking as high as the trees and swinging to and from their posts; what campers can really do in those forests. The VBS concluded with a closing campfire ceremony on Thursday presided over by His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia AM, Metropolitan, Reverend Chor-Bishop Narsai Youkhanis and Revered Father Shamuel Shamuel. Children sang and performed, and showcased everything they had …

FOR THE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION OF ALL OF THE FAITHFUL OF THE ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST, DIOCESE OF CALIFORNIA:

Voice of the East – Vol. 64 – September & October 2017 – No’s 09 & 10

On September 13, 2017, The Feast of the Holy Cross, His Grace Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of California elevated Rev. Deacon John Piro to the ecclesiastical rank of presbyter at Mar Zaia Cathedral in Modesto, California.  Rev. Fr. John will serve as an assistant priest at Mar Addai Parish in Turlock, California.  Following the ordination, His Grace Mar Youhannan Yousip, Auxiliary Bishop of India, celebrated the Holy Mysteries and there was a fellowship meal in the Church Hall. Video of Rev. Fr. John’s Ordination Biography of Rev. Qashisha John Badal Piro Reverend Qashisha John Badal Piro was born on February 7, 1973 in the city of Turlock, CA. to his father Reverend Cor-Bishop Badal S. Piro, and Bereshwa Piro.  He is the youngest of 7 children.  He began his ecclesiastical education in the Assyrian Church of the East in both Syriac language and liturgical service at the hands of his father beginning at the age of five years.  This was instrumental in building a strong foundation in the Apostolic faith of the Church of the East, which is evident to this day. At the age of 12 years, he was ordained a hypodyakhna (subdeacon) for Mar Addai Parish and served …