San Diego, California, is home to a large concentration of Iraqi immigrants. Almost all of them are Christians, including Catholics who had to flee their homes in Iraq taking nothing with them in coming to the USA. They are often referred to as the Chaldean community. Some have really established themselves and have done well. There is even a Congregation of Iraqi Sisters who staff a nursing home.  This settling down makes their heartache and suffering even greater for their own families and friends who are now trapped in refugee camps in the north of Iraq, subject to death if they do not convert to Islam.

Recently our diocesan newspaper publicised a fundraiser to help the Iraqi Christian Refugees. The fund raiser was a joint concert performed by choirs from St. Luke Catholic Church and the Syriac Christian Church. Since all of us are deeply touched by the plight of refugees, Sister Susan and I felt compelled to show our support.

The event was held in St. Luke Catholic Church whose community welcomes St. Thomas the Apostle Syriac Church to share their worship space each Sunday. The pastor of St. Thomas shared with us that the apostle St. Thomas, on his way to India, stopped in what is now called Mosul, Iraq, and founded a house church which the people named St. Thomas the Apostle. For the past 2,000 years Mass has been celebrated in Mosul until recently when militants destroyed the Church of St. Thomas and forced the people to abandon their homes. In 1963 when a wall was being excavated in the church in Mosul, an earthen jar was discovered bearing the inscription, “Here lies the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle.”

Church of St. Thomas, Mosul, Iraq

After the evening Mass in St. Luke Church, the Syriac Community served refreshments in the parish hall. These were donated by the Sahara restaurant, a Mid-eastern restaurant. All enjoyed the hummus, pita chips, vegetables and yoghurt dips and chocolate chip cookies! Then all were invited back into in the church for the concert. The first part of the Concert featured the psalms and the Our Father sung in Aramaic by the Syriac choir. It was kind of awesome to be hearing them sung in the language that Jesus spoke. The music was sung in minor keys with intricate note patterns. The lament for people in distress was very evident and palpable. Then St. Luke’s Choir had their turn treating all to contemporary Catholic hymns and even the Ave Verum by Mozart.

During the break, a free will offering was collected and people were moved to great generosity with their donations. I would like to think that this effort and our prayers to help our Christian refugees are repeated in many places across the USA and the entire world.

Hilda McDonagh
US Province