Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral

At the Mass's opening, Father Felix Shabi's voice sounded from behind the red curtain concealing the Sanctuary. "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." The curtain hung from a frame, painted -- like the rest of the church -- with a sweet, homespun piety. A Paschal lamb at the center, surrounded by angels in the Fra Angelico mode. After the introductory prayer, the congregation broke into song -- a chant, in Chaldean and full of minor intervals -- and the curtain opened to reveal Shabi, dressed in red robes, standing before the altar with his back to the people. He faced a stained-glass cross, upon which hung a Corpus, and around which painted angels hovered, surrounded by clouds and sky. Streams flowed from the foot of the cross, giving life to the surrounding earth, and bringing forth grapes and wheat. A chalice and host stood amid the fruit of the earth.

The readings, taken from Genesis and Corinthians, were presented by a young man and a young woman. Later in the Mass, they offered prayers. (The man: "On the day of your second coming, we will arise before you and welcome you...." The woman: "Let us seek mercy and forgiveness from God, the Lord of all, and let us grant pardon to our neighbor....") Youth spoke up again from the choir, singing modern songs ("My Jesus, my Savior, Lord there is none like you...") that sounded a little less modern accompanied by classical guitar.

Shabi intoned much of the Mass (in both English and Chaldean). But the Gospel, in which Jesus exhorted the disciples to be like little children, warned against leading little ones astray, and compared lost "little ones" to strayed sheep -- was spoken. In his homily, Shabi said the child "follows the head of the family.... We are all God's children.... If we are looking to be somebody higher than our brothers...we have to cut out this idea." He cautioned parents about the example they set for children. And he encouraged us to seek out lost sheep: "Why does Jesus speak about sheep? The sheep live in a society -- there are no separate sheep. When the shepherd takes them out, they stay together.... I feel happy when I see somebody from our church looking for people, bringing them to confession or for Mass. We have to imitate Jesus."

At the sign of peace, Shabi first turned to the people and made the sign of the cross. Then he gently clapped his open hands around the hand of a Servant -- wishing him Christ's peace as he did so. The Servant descended to the four acolytes and clapped his hands around theirs. Then the acolytes rushed along the center aisle, clapping their hands around the hands of the congregants at the ends of the pews, who then turned and passed the sign along to their neighbors.

"Whoever has not received baptism let him leave," intoned the Servant as the priest prepared to consecrate the bread and wine. Reverence and silence were requested. Many prayers surrounded the consecration -- prayers of praise and thanksgiving, prayers for forgiveness, prayers for worthy reception. After the consecration, Shabi moved around the altar and faced the people. Bending -- hunched -- over the altar, his motions deliberate, Shabi broke the bread and dipped the corner of one piece into the cup, staining it purple, "Let the venerable body be marked with the life-giving body of our Lord Jesus Christ.... Let the holy body be signed with the expiating blood of our Lord Jesus Christ...." The Servant spoke: "The Cherubim and Seraphim...are standing by the altar with respect and worship. They watch the priest consecrating and breaking the body of Christ for the remission of offenses."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Later, once again with his back to the people, he presented the stained host by elevating it slightly and then stepping aside and bowing -- the host never moving as he did so. The final blessing quoted the Gospel "Amen, amen, I say to you, any one who eats my body and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him, and I shall raise him up on the last day."

What happens when we die?

"When we die," says Father Shabi, "we will go immediately to the last judgment. But, in fact, today is not the last judgment...we are living in our time, not God's time.... If you are a good man, you will go to heaven; if you are a bad man, you will go to hell.... But there is no pure man. The Bible says that even the righteous man makes seven sins a day. So we have to go to Purgatory to purify our sins. Then, at the last judgment, Jesus will lead us to heaven. If we are bad people, we will never see heaven, even though we are Christians."

Place

St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral

1627 Jamacha Way, El Cajon




Denomination: Chaldean Catholic

Founded locally: 1973

Senior pastor: Father Michael J. Bazzi (Cathedral is also seat of Bishop Sarhad Yawsip)

Congregation size: Together with St. Michael's, St. Peter's serves the 25,000 Chaldeans in San Diego County

Staff size: 3

Sunday school enrollment: various levels of school, but 600 children on Saturdays

Annual budget: n/a

Weekly giving: n/a

Singles program: no

Dress: semi-dressy -- some jeans, but many dresses and button-down shirts

Diversity: almost entirely Chaldean

Sunday worship: English and Chaldean, 9:30 a.m.; sung Mass in Chaldean, 11:15 a.m.

Length of reviewed service: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Website: kaldu.org

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The vicious cycle of Escondido's abandoned buildings

City staff blames owners for raising rents
Next Article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1

At the Mass's opening, Father Felix Shabi's voice sounded from behind the red curtain concealing the Sanctuary. "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." The curtain hung from a frame, painted -- like the rest of the church -- with a sweet, homespun piety. A Paschal lamb at the center, surrounded by angels in the Fra Angelico mode. After the introductory prayer, the congregation broke into song -- a chant, in Chaldean and full of minor intervals -- and the curtain opened to reveal Shabi, dressed in red robes, standing before the altar with his back to the people. He faced a stained-glass cross, upon which hung a Corpus, and around which painted angels hovered, surrounded by clouds and sky. Streams flowed from the foot of the cross, giving life to the surrounding earth, and bringing forth grapes and wheat. A chalice and host stood amid the fruit of the earth.

The readings, taken from Genesis and Corinthians, were presented by a young man and a young woman. Later in the Mass, they offered prayers. (The man: "On the day of your second coming, we will arise before you and welcome you...." The woman: "Let us seek mercy and forgiveness from God, the Lord of all, and let us grant pardon to our neighbor....") Youth spoke up again from the choir, singing modern songs ("My Jesus, my Savior, Lord there is none like you...") that sounded a little less modern accompanied by classical guitar.

Shabi intoned much of the Mass (in both English and Chaldean). But the Gospel, in which Jesus exhorted the disciples to be like little children, warned against leading little ones astray, and compared lost "little ones" to strayed sheep -- was spoken. In his homily, Shabi said the child "follows the head of the family.... We are all God's children.... If we are looking to be somebody higher than our brothers...we have to cut out this idea." He cautioned parents about the example they set for children. And he encouraged us to seek out lost sheep: "Why does Jesus speak about sheep? The sheep live in a society -- there are no separate sheep. When the shepherd takes them out, they stay together.... I feel happy when I see somebody from our church looking for people, bringing them to confession or for Mass. We have to imitate Jesus."

At the sign of peace, Shabi first turned to the people and made the sign of the cross. Then he gently clapped his open hands around the hand of a Servant -- wishing him Christ's peace as he did so. The Servant descended to the four acolytes and clapped his hands around theirs. Then the acolytes rushed along the center aisle, clapping their hands around the hands of the congregants at the ends of the pews, who then turned and passed the sign along to their neighbors.

"Whoever has not received baptism let him leave," intoned the Servant as the priest prepared to consecrate the bread and wine. Reverence and silence were requested. Many prayers surrounded the consecration -- prayers of praise and thanksgiving, prayers for forgiveness, prayers for worthy reception. After the consecration, Shabi moved around the altar and faced the people. Bending -- hunched -- over the altar, his motions deliberate, Shabi broke the bread and dipped the corner of one piece into the cup, staining it purple, "Let the venerable body be marked with the life-giving body of our Lord Jesus Christ.... Let the holy body be signed with the expiating blood of our Lord Jesus Christ...." The Servant spoke: "The Cherubim and Seraphim...are standing by the altar with respect and worship. They watch the priest consecrating and breaking the body of Christ for the remission of offenses."

Sponsored
Sponsored

Later, once again with his back to the people, he presented the stained host by elevating it slightly and then stepping aside and bowing -- the host never moving as he did so. The final blessing quoted the Gospel "Amen, amen, I say to you, any one who eats my body and drinks my blood dwells in me and I in him, and I shall raise him up on the last day."

What happens when we die?

"When we die," says Father Shabi, "we will go immediately to the last judgment. But, in fact, today is not the last judgment...we are living in our time, not God's time.... If you are a good man, you will go to heaven; if you are a bad man, you will go to hell.... But there is no pure man. The Bible says that even the righteous man makes seven sins a day. So we have to go to Purgatory to purify our sins. Then, at the last judgment, Jesus will lead us to heaven. If we are bad people, we will never see heaven, even though we are Christians."

Place

St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Cathedral

1627 Jamacha Way, El Cajon




Denomination: Chaldean Catholic

Founded locally: 1973

Senior pastor: Father Michael J. Bazzi (Cathedral is also seat of Bishop Sarhad Yawsip)

Congregation size: Together with St. Michael's, St. Peter's serves the 25,000 Chaldeans in San Diego County

Staff size: 3

Sunday school enrollment: various levels of school, but 600 children on Saturdays

Annual budget: n/a

Weekly giving: n/a

Singles program: no

Dress: semi-dressy -- some jeans, but many dresses and button-down shirts

Diversity: almost entirely Chaldean

Sunday worship: English and Chaldean, 9:30 a.m.; sung Mass in Chaldean, 11:15 a.m.

Length of reviewed service: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Website: kaldu.org

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Wild Wild Wets, Todo Mundo, Creepy Creeps, Laura Cantrell, Graham Nancarrow

Rock, Latin reggae, and country music in Little Italy, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Harbor Island
Next Article

The danger of San Diego's hoarders

The $1 million Flash Comics #1
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader