Why do Christians worship on Sunday not on Saturday? “One Sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching him. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” But they were silent. Then he took him and healed him, and let him go. And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?” And they could not reply to this.” (Luke 14: 1-6) Introduction: The place: The house of the ruler of the Pharisees. Time: Saturday (Sabbath day) Purpose: Jesus was invited to dine at the Pharisee’s house. Characters: The ruler of the Pharisees. A man who had dropsy: The Pharisees brought this sick man and have him sit him before the Lord not to because they wanted Jesus to have pity on him and heal him but rather they wanted to trap Jesus. To see if He will break the Law of observing the Sabbath or …

Religious education is a pivotal aspect in the life of the Church.  It strengthens the internal life as a community of believers and her external activity as a missionary Church.   In fact the Church is bidden to offer catechesis her best resource, in people and energy in order to organize it better and to train qualified personnel. In the context of the ongoing spiritual and theological awareness, evangelization and conversion process that is the goal of the Church for every Christian., the Eastern USA Diocese has successfully completed the First Catechetical Course (March-October 2014).  It has consisted of five fundamental theological topics: Life in Christ: Morality in the Life of Assyrian Church  Instructor: HG Mar Paulus Benyamin This course delved a loving relationship with God in Christ. It will present the dignity of the person,  the moral responsibility conferred on us by God’s gift of freedom, the process of conscience formation, the social  teaching of the church, and the personal and social responsibility to live in justice as members of the Assyrian Christian community and steward of God’s creation: 1. Sources of Knowing How to Live Justly: a) Natural Law; b) Dignity and Freedom of the Human Person; Grace and …

      July 5th 2015 marked the conclusion of the 28th annual Assyrian Church of the East Youth Association conference. During the conference, students spent most of the day in workshops led by different members of clergy, and were encouraged to fellowship with other students from different parishes. During this time, elected presidents from those parishes meet with His Grace Mar Awa Royel and parish priests to discuss ways to connect with students in a more effective way in spreading the good news of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of our final meeting, His Grace Mar Awa suggested that the presidents from all participating parishes would meet in September to discuss those specific topics in more detail. September 4th marked the first day of our meeting, where His Grace along with Rev. Father Genard and Rev. Father Lawrence spent two days working diligently with the elected youth presidents in reformatting the Assyrian Church of the Easts’ final Constitution draft, conference agendas/activities, and Bible Studies that take place every week at all parishes. It was with incredible satisfaction that at the conclusion of our meeting, certain motions were put to pass that God willing will propel …

His Grace Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of California, Secretary of the Holy Synod and President of CIRED led an ecumenical visit to Russia and Armenia. The Very Rev. Archdeacon William Toma and Very Rev. Cor-bishop George Toma were prevented from attending, as planned, by travel difficulties. The delegation of the Assyrian Church of the East visited the Assyrian community in Moscow and the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate (DECR) on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. His Grace Mar Awa was received by Very Rev. Cor-bishop Samano Odisho (Rector of Holy Virgin Mary Church, Moscow) together with the local Assyrian Church of the East community and a representative of the DECR. His Grace, together with Cor-Bishop Samano Odisho, visited the DECR where they were received by Very Rev. Archimandrite Philaret (Secretary), Hieromonk Stephan, and Mr. Sergei Alferov of the DECR. Meeting on July 21, 2015, the delegation of the Church of the East met with members of the DECR in discussion of bilateral dialogue. This meeting was a direct result of the historic visit of the late His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, of blessed memory, to His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, in May-June of 2014. The Assyrian Church …

Youth Associations of the Archdiocese met in Auckland, New Zealand on Wednesday the 1st July. His Beatitude Mar Meelis Zaia AM Metropolitan, Rev’d Fr Narsai Youkhanis (Sydney), Rev’d Fr Ninos Elya (Sydney), Rev’d Fr Antwan Mikhail (Melbourne), Syriac Scholar Prof Rifat Ebied (Sydney) and members of the youth from Sydney, Melbourne and Wellington were welcomed by the Auckland Youth Committee, parish priest Rev’d Fr Toma Kanoon and the Church committee. The clergymen and conference speakers and attendees checked into Auckland Mercure Hotel in the heart of the city. The 2015 youth conference officially began with a warm and traditional welcome by a Maori entertaining group performing the Haka in honour of the guests followed by prayers in St Mary’s Church Manurewa led by His Beatitude. Following the prayers, welcoming speeches were presented in Mar Narsai DeBaz Hall (rear of the Church) by MC Deacon Oliver Sliwa, Rev’d Fr Narsai Youkhanis Youth Chaplain, Rev’d Fr Toma Kanon Parish Priest and His Beatitude Mar Meelis. The second day of the conference comprised of seminars at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) where Rev’d Mark Beale of the Anglican Church spoke about Serving God in Body and Spirit, Rev’d Fr Narsai Youkhanis spoke …

Beloved Clergy and Faithful of the Assyrian Church of the East in the U.S., greetings and peace in the Name of the Holy Trinity! ​Recently the Supreme Court of the United States legally upheld and created a right for people of the same sex to be married across the United States of America. As the hierarchs of the three dioceses that serve and minister to the flock of Christ in the Assyrian Church of the East in the United States of America, we extend this statement as a reaffirmation of the Church’s eternal teaching regarding marriage and human sexuality. But first, we must remind all faithful that the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States strikes at deep feelings and convictions for many Americans and that, as Christians, our first duty is a Christian love that is as charitable as it is honest. ​Our Lord sought out the disenfranchised from the community of faith, corrected the sin, healed the effects of sin, and restored the sinner to full membership in the People of God. Such a restoration always presumes a life marked by repentance of every Christian. All true Christians respond to sin with a prayerful movement of …

His Grace Mar Emmanuel Yosip, Bishop of Canada has received the award for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Syriac Studies from the University of Toronto after many years of diligent study. His Grace’s dissertation is entitled ‘The Book of Resh Melle by Yohannan Bar Penkaye: An Introduction to the Text and Study of its Literary Genres’. It was defended in a Final Oral Examination at the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies on May 28, 2015. The examination committee for His Grace’s defence was comprised of:  1. Professor A. Harrak (Supervisor) 2. Professor P.A. Beaulieu 3. Professor A.K. Ali 4. Professor A Becker (External Examiner) 5. Professor V. Li (Exam Chair) In addition to his undergraduate studies, His Grace also holds a Master’s Degree in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations from the University of Toronto. Assyrian Church News offers its congratulations to His Grace on this significant achievement, praying for his continued success as shepherd of the Assyrian Church of the East in Canada.   

For Immediate Release 4 June 2015  The holy Council of Prelates of the Assyrian Church of the East, presided by His Beatitude Mar Aprem, Metropolitan of All India and Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, continued its plenary working session on Thursday, June 4, 2015. By the Grace of the Holy Spirit, the Prelates continued to discuss the important matter of the election of the new Catholicos-Patriarch; as the chief shepherd has not yet been elected by the Prelates. Any other news to the contrary is incorrect and null.​  The Council of Prelates continues to seek the prayers of our faithful as their shepherds and fathers in Christ, in our deliberations to elect the new Chief Shepherd and Father of Fathers for our holy Church. May the Lord bless you all in the name of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Amen.  Given at the episcopal residence in Dohuk, Iraq, this 4th day of June, 2015. Mar Awa Royel ♰ By Grace: Bishop of California; Secretary of the Holy Synod

The holy Council of Prelates of the Assyrian Church of the East, presided by His Beatitude Mar Aprem, Metropolitan of All India and Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, was officially called into session at the episcopal residence in Dohuk, Iraq on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. All the metropolitans and bishops were present for this council for the first full day of the ongoing extraordinary session of the Council.​ By the Grace of the Holy Spirit, the prelates began the important process of electing the catholicos-patriarch to the Holy See of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, after the vacancy of the Holy See with the falling asleep in the Lord of the late Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV, of blessed memory. The prelates, in a fraternal and charitable spirit, are in the process of discernment and election, guided by the Holy Spirit. ​The other work of the extraordinary Council of Prelates is concerned with the matter of our present dialogue with the Ancient Church of the East. The Council of Bishops met in a special assembly on June 1, 2015 in Arbel, Iraq, in order to respond to the requests of their bishops. As of the release of this statement, the Council of …

Meeting between the delegations of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Ancient Church of the Church for the achievement of a unified Church of the East. ​A cordial and fraternal meeting took place in Chicago, IL USA at the premises of St. Andrew’s Assyrian Church of the East on Friday, the 22nd of May 2015. The representatives of the Ancient Church of the East were: 1. His Beatitude Mar Yakoob Danil. Metropolitan of Australia & New Zealand 2. His Beatitude Mar Zaia Khoshaba, Metropolitan of Canada & the U.S. 3. His Grace Mar Gewargis Younan, Bishop of Chicago, IL The representatives of the Assyrian Church of the East were: 1. His Beatitude Mar Gewargis Sliwa, Metropolitan of Iraq & Russia 2. His Grace Mar Iskhaq Yousif, Bishop of Nohadra, Erbil, & Russia 3. His Grace Mar Awa Royel, Bishop of California and Secretary of the Holy Synod The common secretary of this meeting was the Very Rev. William Toma, Archdeacon. The meeting began with the Lord’s Prayer in a singular love, as King David says in the Old Testament: “How very good and pleasant it is, when kindred live together in Unity!” (Psalms 133:1) Representatives of both branches …