About Sts. Behnam and Sarah [Syrian] · Glendale, Arizona
Sts. Behnam and Sarah is a Syriac Catholic mission (West Syriac / Antiochian rite) serving the Iraqi-Assyrian faithful of the Phoenix metropolitan area from Glendale, Arizona. It belongs to the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance in the United States, the national Syriac Catholic diocese erected by Pope John Paul II in 1995. The community describes itself as a small group mostly of families from Mosul, Iraq, gathering weekly for the Syriac-rite Divine Liturgy on Sunday afternoons. Worship is celebrated in the Syriac (Aramaic) tradition, with Sunday Mass offered at 1:30 PM at 5525 W Acoma Drive.
- Established
- 1999
- Patron
- Saints Behnam and Sarah (with the Forty Martyrs)
- Rector
- Rev. Father Raad Mushe (Church Administrator since August 2021)
- Diocese
- Eparchy (Diocese) of Our Lady of Deliverance in the United States (Syriac Catholic Church) — cathedral seat at St. Toma Syriac Cathedral, Farmington Hills, Michigan; eparch since 2010 is Bishop Yousif Benham Habash.
Why belong here
Sts. Behnam and Sarah exists so that Syriac Catholic families of the Phoenix Valley — particularly those with roots in Mosul and the broader Iraqi Christian diaspora — can worship each week in their own West Syriac (Antiochian) tradition. The mission gathers as a small, close-knit community for the Syriac-rite Divine Liturgy on Sundays, with children's religious education and parish fundraising events held alongside worship. For Syriac-rite Catholics living in or visiting the West Valley who want the Divine Liturgy in Syriac rather than the Latin rite, this mission is the local anchor of the Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance.
Mass times at Sts. Behnam and Sarah [Syrian]
Weekly Mass schedule
History of Sts. Behnam and Sarah Mission
The mission is the Phoenix-area expression of the Syriac Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance. Its founding traces to a 1997 diocesan conference in San Diego and the first Arizona Syriac Mass celebrated in 1999 at the Mar Abraham Chaldean Church by Monsignor Thoma Azizo. Bishop Joseph Younan visited in 2000 and officially named the mission after the young Iraqi martyrs Behnam and Sarah. Leadership passed in 2010 to Monsignor Yousif Habash, who was concurrently elevated to bishop by Pope Benedict XVI.
- 1997: Diocesan conference in San Diego votes unanimously to open a Syriac Catholic mission in Phoenix, starting with four Masses a year.
- 1999: First Syriac Mass in Arizona celebrated by Monsignor Thoma Azizo at Mar Abraham Chaldean Church.
- 2000: Bishop Joseph Younan visits and officially names the mission in honor of Sts. Behnam and Sarah.
- 2006: End of Monsignor Azizo's tenure as visiting priest.
- 2010: Monsignor Yousif Habash assumes oversight; same year he is appointed Eparch by Pope Benedict XVI.
- August 2021: Rev. Father Raad Mushe named church administrator.
Liturgy, Rite and Language
The community follows the West Syriac (Antiochian) rite of the Catholic Church, celebrating the Divine Liturgy in Syriac Aramaic, with readings and preaching also accommodated in English and Arabic for the Iraqi-born families in the pews. Mass is offered once weekly on Sunday afternoons.
- Rite: West Syriac / Antiochian (Syriac Catholic)
- Sunday Mass: 1:30 PM
- Languages used in the liturgy: Syriac Aramaic, English, Arabic
Community and Ministries
The mission self-describes as a small community predominantly of families originating from Mosul, Iraq, gathered to maintain their Syriac Catholic faith in the Phoenix Valley. Beyond the Sunday liturgy it runs children's religious education and parish fundraising events, with ceremonies and services typical of a small Syriac-rite community.
- Children's religious education / Sunday school
- Parish fundraising events
- Ceremonies (baptisms, weddings, funerals) for Syriac-rite Catholics in the area
Governance and Affiliation
Sts. Behnam and Sarah is not a diocesan territorial parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix but a 'mission' — a congregation under the Syriac Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Deliverance in the United States (originally of Newark), which has jurisdiction over all Syriac Catholics across the country. The 501(c)(3) corporation is led by Eparch Bishop Yousif Habash as President and Rev. Father Raad Mushe as Vice-President / church administrator.
- Eparchy: Our Lady of Deliverance in the United States (Syriac Catholic)
- Eparch: Bishop Yousif Benham Habash (since 2010)
- Church Administrator: Rev. Father Raad Mushe
- Treasurer (per IRS filings): Sam Fattohy
- EIN: 47-3334480
The Patron Saints: Behnam, Sarah and the Forty Martyrs
According to Syriac tradition, Prince Behnam was the son of the 4th-century Zoroastrian Assyrian king Sennaherib II. After a vision while hunting, he was converted to Christianity by St. Matthew the Elder (Mor Mattai) on Mount Alfaf. He brought his leprous sister Sarah to be healed and baptized; she, Behnam, and forty companions were baptized together. The furious king sent soldiers who killed Behnam, Sarah, and their forty companions on a hill near Nimrud. The king later repented and built the great Mar Behnam Monastery, which passed from the Syriac Orthodox to the Syriac Catholics in 1839. The Syriac Catholic Church commemorates them on December 10.
- Era: 4th century, reign of Shapur II / Sennaherib II of Adiabene
- Major shrine: Mar Behnam Monastery near Nimrud (Bakhdida area), northern Iraq
- Feast day in the Syriac calendar: December 10
- Commemorated together with the Forty Martyrs
Visiting and Contact
The mission worships at 5525 W Acoma Drive in Glendale, on the north-west side of the Phoenix metropolitan area. Visitors seeking the Syriac-rite Divine Liturgy are welcome at the Sunday 1:30 PM Mass; the listed phone line is (480) 300-2776.
- Address: 5525 W Acoma Drive, Glendale, AZ 85306
- Phone: (480) 300-2776
- Website: stbehnamandsarasyriaccatholicmission.church (also stbehnamandsaraparish.com)
- Sunday Mass: 1:30 PM
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Monsignor Thoma Azizo1999–2006
Celebrated the first Syriac Mass in Arizona in 1999 at Mar Abraham Chaldean Church; continued to serve the mission there until 2006.
- Monsignor Yousif Habash2010–
Took over in 2010; later appointed the second Eparch of Our Lady of Deliverance by Pope Benedict XVI, and continues to be listed as Board President of the mission corporation.