My dear St. Mary's Assyrian Church Parishioners,

Prayers and Blessings receive.

Friday August 1st is the beginning of the fourteen day fast (Known as the fast of St. Mary). We observe this fast annually ending it on the fifteenth of August, which is the day we commemorate the passing of the beloved Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Mary is the The Patron St. of our parish, our beloved Mart Maryam, and I know she holds a special place in every parishioner's heart and I believe we as a parish are always are in her prayers.

This year I am not only asking, but begging each and every one of you, to join us in this fast (Sawma), dedicating it to our persecuted brothers and sisters in the homeland. Let us all fast and pray for peace for everyone in the world and especially in the Middle-East.

Thank you and God help us all.

His servant,

Fr. George Bet-Rasho

Cor-Bishop, L.A. California.

Another Assyrian Christian Tragedy Unfolds

ACERO has responded rapidly and begun to reach many families fleeing Mosul and the surrounding areas, who have sought refuge within local churches.

With the assistance of local ACERO chapter members on the ground, important work has already begun to assist those in immediate need, including Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriac Orthodox and Catholic and Arabs affected by the ongoing turmoil.

ACERO chapter members and partners on the ground report that “they are arriving with the clothes on their backs … they do not even have bags”.

The International Organisation for Migration has estimated that 500,000 residents of Mosul have already fled Iraq’s second-city.

ACERO’s Response

• Financial aid reached the area within an hour of the reports coming in;
• The school classroom (within ACERO’s Dohuk Housing Complex) has been converted into temporary shelter for displaced families;
• Local church parishes have set up food distribution points, as the supplies begin to become sparse; and,
• A priest’s home has been vacated to allow families to use the facilities for shelter.

ACERO’s Trustees are receiving constant updates on the situation in order to ensure the level of assistance provided meets the requirements and is immediate.

ACERO’s Current Requirements

• 2000 food baskets consisting of: rice, flour, oil, sugar, tea, soaps, drinking water, corned beef and pasta. This food basket costs $50 USD
• 2 water tankers which can distribute at least 10,000 litres of clean drinking water. The cost of these tankers is $40,000 USD for near to new models
• 2 water tanks to store water, and 2 electric generators

How Can You Help?

Your generous support will help ACERO to continue providing direct aid and relief to displaced residents of Mosul and the surrounding Nineveh region. Please show your support and concern by making an urgent contribution securely  in your preferred currency.

May I start by wishing you all a Blessed Easter and a wonderful Assyrian New Year 6764.

I am filled with gratitude and joy as I declare that Jesus Christ is Risen! He is surely Risen! Easter is a time of great anticipation of what our Lord and Savior is yet to do; and it is a time of great celebration of what our Lord and Savior has already done.

We anticipate the inheritance that we have in Christ Jesus as we are reminded in 1 Peter 3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” What a great hope we as believers have.

We celebrate that our Savior willingly gave up His life andconquered the grave once and for all. Death has lost its sting. InJohn 10: 14-18, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” What a great love we have received.

As we meditate on the terrible suffering that Christ went through for you and me, let us dedicate our lives to be a living reflection of God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness towards us. Let us be the love of God to one another. Easter marks the end of the Old Covenant under law and invites us into the New Covenant under grace. As we give thanks for God’s Salvation, God’s forgiveness and God’s love for all who believe; let us freely reach out to those who need our help, our forgiveness, our compassion and our time. Let us share God’s love in a tangible way this Easter.

I pray that our merciful father will grant each one of us joy, health, and prosperity; but most of all, I pray that we all have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I encourage us all to keep Assyria alive through our actions, in our hearts, and through our language even as we are out here in the diaspora. We must remain active, united and focused in one voice and mind; making sure we support each other, both here and those suffering in the homeland.  May God continue to bless us all

In His Service,

Cor-Bishop Fr. George Bet Rasho