Immaculate Conception Chaldean Mission [Chaldean]

About the Immaculate Conception Chaldean Mission

The Immaculate Conception Chaldean Mission, formerly known as the Boston Catholic Chaldean Mission, was established on February 22, 2017 by Bishop Francis Yohana Kalabat of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle (Detroit, MI). It operates within the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Boston's Cultural Diversity apostolate. The mission brings together Iraqi Christian immigrants and refugees and other Arabic-speaking Catholics of the Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, and Maronite rites (along with some Orthodox) to celebrate Mass in the ancient Chaldean Rite using Arabic, English, and Aramaic (Surath). Approximately 70–80 families from across Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire participate. Because the mission has no building of its own, it borrows worship space from host Roman Catholic parishes and is administered on a day-to-day basis by permanent Deacon Sermed Ashkouri.

History & Milestones

Founded February 22, 2017 in the wake of the post-2014 Iraqi Christian displacement crisis, the mission was hosted from its earliest days by Mary Immaculate of Lourdes Church in Newton Upper Falls, the oldest Catholic parish in Newton and Needham (founded 1870, renamed and rededicated 1910). The mission subsequently established a second home at St. Zepherin Church in Wayland (part of Good Shepherd Parish, 99 Main Street), where it celebrated most of its biweekly Sunday Masses for several years. In October 2021 Bishop Kalabat made a pastoral visitation to Wayland, during which he baptized children and confirmed the mission's growth. On August 29, 2021 the mission reached a milestone with its first First Holy Communions (Katia Esa and Azel Ashkouri), celebrated by Father Hermiz Haddad of Chicago with Deacon Ashkouri assisting. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a temporary halt to in-person Masses; the community responded with a weekly Zoom prayer group and a monthly Bible study led by a Chaldean priest from Detroit. After restrictions eased, the mission re-grouped and eventually added a third host venue at St. Linus Catholic Church in Natick (119 Hartford Street), its current principal address.

• 2017 — Mission canonically established by Bishop Francis Kalabat (Feb 22)
• Hosted by Mary Immaculate of Lourdes, Newton Upper Falls
• Affiliated with Good Shepherd Parish, Wayland (St. Zepherin Church)
• 2020 — Pandemic pause; launch of weekly Zoom prayer group
• October 2021 — Bishop Kalabat pastoral visit to Wayland, baptisms
• August 29, 2021 — First First Communions (Katia Esa & Azel Ashkouri) with Father Hermiz Haddad
• 2021 — Deacon Sermed Ashkouri ordained a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Boston
• Current venue: St. Linus Catholic Church, 119 Hartford St., Natick, MA

The Chaldean Catholic Tradition

The Chaldean Catholic Church is one of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). Its members descend from the historic Church of the East in Mesopotamia — the Tigris–Euphrates region known as the 'Cradle of Civilization' — where Christianity was first preached in the 1st century by St. Thomas the Apostle and his disciples Mar Addai and Mar Mari. The Chaldean Church is 'Sui Juris' (self-governing), headed by the Chaldean Patriarchate in Baghdad with eparchies (dioceses) around the world. The U.S. Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle, led from Southfield, Michigan (Bishop Francis Kalabat), serves the largest concentration of Chaldean Catholics outside the Middle East. The Chaldean Liturgy is celebrated in Aramaic ('Surath') and Arabic, languages that preserve the heritage of the first Christian communities of the East.

• One of 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome
• Descended from the Church of the East / Mesopotamian Christianity
• Apostolic origin: St. Thomas, Mar Addai, and Mar Mari (1st century)
• Sui Juris status; Patriarchate based in Baghdad
• U.S. eparchy led by Bishop Francis Kalabat (Southfield, MI)
• Liturgical languages: Aramaic/Surath, Arabic (with English where needed)

Worship & Liturgy

Sunday Mass is celebrated every other week. According to the current iccmboston.org schedule, Mass is offered at 11:30 AM on alternating Sundays; the Chaldean Diocese's listings also note a 12:30 PM Mass on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month (English/Arabic/Chaldean) and a 11:00 AM weekly listing elsewhere. On solemnities such as Christmas, Palm Sunday, Easter, baptisms, weddings, and First Communions, a Chaldean-rite priest travels from Detroit or Chicago. On other Sundays the mission is served by Latin-rite priests of the Archdiocese of Boston (notably Father James O'Driscoll) or by Maronite priests celebrating in the Chaldean Rite with Bishop Kalabat's permission. The liturgical calendar marked by the community includes the Feast of the Cross in September, the Month of the Sacred Heart in June, the Month of Mary in May, and full Holy Week observances.

• Sunday Mass — every other week (2nd & 4th Sundays typical)
• Languages: Arabic, English, Aramaic (Surath), Chaldean
• Solemnities (Christmas, Holy Week, baptisms, weddings, First Communion): Chaldean-rite priest from Detroit/Chicago
• Regular Sundays: Latin-rite or Maronite priests celebrating with Chaldean-rite elements
• Stations of the Cross during Lent
• Coffee hour with traditional Iraqi food after each Mass

Clergy & Pastoral Team

Day-to-day pastoral coordination of the mission is the responsibility of Deacon Sermed Ashkouri, a permanent deacon ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2021. The ordinary of the mission is Bishop Francis Yohana Kalabat, who leads the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Saint Thomas the Apostle from Southfield, Michigan. Because the mission does not yet have a full-time resident Chaldean-rite priest, it relies on a roster of visiting priests — both Latin-rite priests of the Archdiocese of Boston and Chaldean-rite priests from Detroit and Chicago — to celebrate Mass.

• Bishop Francis Yohana Kalabat — Eparchial Bishop (Detroit)
• Deacon Sermed Ashkouri — Mission Administrator
• Rev. Father James O'Driscoll — Visiting Priest (Latin-rite)
• Rev. Father Hermiz Haddad — Visiting Priest (Chicago, Chaldean-rite)
• Rev. Father Aram Qia — Visiting Priest
• Rev. Father Muhannad Al-Tawil — Visiting Priest
• Rev. Father Selwan Taponi — Visiting Priest
• Rev. Father (Milan) Odeesh — Visiting Priest
• Rev. Father Norbert — Visiting Priest (Palm Sunday)

Faith Formation & Religious Education

Religious education is integrated into the mission's life in several forms. Because the mission does not yet operate a formal parish school or set curriculum, First Communion preparation is offered via Sunday-evening Zoom catechesis classes at 6:30 PM. Catechesis for other sacraments is arranged individually with visiting priests. During the COVID-19 pandemic the mission also launched a weekly Zoom prayer group featuring the rosary, a Gospel reading, a homily, and a saint-of-the-day reading, plus a monthly Bible study via Zoom led by a Chaldean priest from Detroit — both of which continue as ongoing formation opportunities.

• First Communion preparation — Sunday 6:30 PM on Zoom
• Pre-baptismal and marriage preparation by arrangement
• Weekly Zoom prayer group (rosary, Gospel, homily, saint reading)
• Monthly Bible study via Zoom with Chaldean priest from Detroit
• Children's classes held during Mass time

Sacraments & Devotions

The mission offers the full sacramental life of the Eastern Catholic Church to its families. Baptisms, weddings, and First Communions are typically celebrated by visiting Chaldean-rite priests from Detroit or Chicago who travel to Greater Boston for these solemnities. Pastoral care of the sick, including Anointing of the Sick and Communion of the homebound, is coordinated with the host Roman Catholic parishes. Devotional life centers on traditional Catholic practices adapted to the Chaldean sensibility, including the Stations of the Cross in Lent, the Feast of the Cross in September, and observances of the Months of the Sacred Heart and Mary.

• Baptism (infants, children, adults) — celebrated by visiting Chaldean priests
• First Holy Communion — with catechesis via Zoom
• Matrimony — celebrated with visiting priests
• Anointing of the Sick / pastoral care of the sick
• Funeral rites and Christian burial
• Feast of the Cross (September 14)
• Stations of the Cross during Lent
• Full Holy Week liturgies
• Months of the Sacred Heart and of Mary

Community & Fellowship

The mission is fundamentally a community of diaspora Iraqi Christians, many of whom fled persecution in Iraq and have rebuilt their lives across Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. After every Mass the community shares a coffee hour with traditional Iraqi food, and major events (baptisms, First Communions, weddings, Christmas, Easter) frequently spill over into the parish hall. The mission has also planned a multi-lingual choir festival bringing together choirs from different Christian traditions to sing in their respective languages as a sign of cultural unity. The community deliberately extends fellowship not only to Chaldean Catholics but also to Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, and Maronite Catholics and to Orthodox Christians in the region.

• Coffee hour after each Mass
• Traditional Iraqi food at major celebrations
• Multi-lingual choir festival (planned)
• Open to Chaldean, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, and Maronite Catholics and Orthodox
• Families attend from across MA and southern NH

Locations & Worship Venues

As a mission without its own building, the Immaculate Conception Chaldean Mission has worshipped at several host parishes over its history. Its current principal venue (per iccmboston.org) is St. Linus Catholic Church, 119 Hartford Street, Natick, MA 01760. It has also been hosted by St. Zepherin Church of Good Shepherd Parish, 99 Main Street, Wayland, MA 01778, and from its founding by Mary Immaculate of Lourdes, 270 Elliot Street, Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464 (Newton & Needham's oldest Catholic parish).

• St. Linus Catholic Church — 119 Hartford St., Natick, MA 01760 (current)
• Good Shepherd Parish / St. Zepherin Church — 99 Main St., Wayland, MA 01778
• Mary Immaculate of Lourdes — 270 Elliot St., Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464 (founding host)

Contact, Visiting, & Getting Involved

Prospective visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed. The current Mass schedule and announcements are posted on the mission's website (iccmboston.org) and on its Facebook page; the Administrator (Deacon Ashkouri) can be reached at 617-320-9991 or [email protected]. The community gathers on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays of every month (1:30–2:30 PM, with announcements taking precedence) and at other times according to the published schedule. Driving is the most practical way to reach the current Natick venue (just off Route 9 with ample parish parking); families drive from as far as Springfield, MA and Nashua, NH to attend.

• Administrator phone: 617-320-9991 (Deacon Sermed Ashkouri)
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.iccmboston.org/
• Facebook: facebook.com/people/Bostons-Chaldean-Mission/100008667663017/
• Parish bulletin announcements posted on the website
• Reaching the current venue: Route 9 / Hartford St., Natick — free parish parking