Assyrian Church News Official News Site of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East

On Sunday 6 September, His Eminence Mar Meelis Zaia AM Metropolitan of the Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon elevated two deacons to the ranking of priesthood to serve Sydney’s Saint Hurmizd’s Cathedral and St Mary’s Church, Reverend Father Ramen Youkhanis and Father Shlemon Dinkha (formerly Riyadh), respectively. The ordination was celebrated by the Metropolitan with the participation of His Grace Mar Benyamin Elya, Bishop of Victoria and New Zealand and His Grace Mar Awraham Youkhanis, Bishop of Western Europe. During the service, the Metropolitan also announced that Revered Chorbishop Fr Ashoor Lazar would be elevated to Archdeacon (the highest ranking of non-episcopal priesthood in the Assyrian Church of the East) for the Archdiocese in the new year, subject to the easing of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. His Eminence also conveyed his warm wishes and immense thanks to Reverend Father Kivarkis Atto who has reached the age of retirement. Fr Atto has been the parish priest of St Mary’s Church since 1995 and has worked tirelessly for the parish and its members. The newly appointed and ordained priests will lead Sydney’s St Hurmizd’s Cathedral and St Mary’s Church parishes and serve the Assyrian Church of the East community in Sydney …

Voice of the East – Vol. 67 – March-April & May-June 2020 – No’s 03, 04, 05 & 06

The Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon is pleased to announce that on Sunday the 6th day of September 2020, His Eminence Mar Meelis Zaia AM will ordain Reverend Deacons Riyadh Dinkha and Ramen Youkhanis to the ranking of Priesthood for the Holy Church. The ordination will take place at St Hurmizd’s Cathedral at 8:00am. As we are facing the current pandemic, the ordination will be streamed live (further details to be provided closer to date).   Reverend Deacon Riyadh Dinkha’s Biography Rev Dn Riyadh was born in Baghdad, Iraq on the 14th day of September 1979 to parents the Late Shlemon Dinkha and Ms Mariam Qashow. He migrated to New Zealand in 2000, and settled in Australia with his family in 2013. Rev Dn Riyadh spent his childhood immersed in church services in Iraq and continued to do so after taking on rank in the Holy Church. Throughout his time living in Sydney, he has served as one of the Deacons to the Cathedral with commitment and diligence to all of its services, in addition to leading adult bible studies for parishioners. Rev Dn Riyadh is a registered architect and builder. After the ordination, Dn Riyadh will be …

On Monday 15th June, His Grace Mar Awraham Youkhanis participated in a virtual discussion on a project entitled ‘Rewriting Global Orthodoxy: The Oriental Churches in Europe, 1970-2020’ The meeting was hosted by the Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies Radboud University of Nijmegen in The Netherlands. The project started in October 2019, by the Faculty, in cooperation with the Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, with a grant from the European Research Council of the European Commission. It explores the religious publications of the Coptic, Syriac Orthodox, Armenian, Ethiopian and Eritrean churches in Europe, in comparison with those of the Church of the East and other churches whose members over the past fifty years have moved to various European countries. It studies these Churches who have in various ways established dioceses, churches and parishes, and have started to build up church life and the education of the young and the old, via a variety of publications – published in Europe or in other places of the world. His Grace was joined by scholars and other Church leaders during the virtual session. His Grace is grateful to the Faculty for the invitation to participate in the discussion and looks forward to contributing …