Magazine design · St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Diocese
Kepha, Fall 2025: Answering the Call
Kepha's fall issue visits the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great, introduces the priests who serve the eparchy, and prepares for Christmas through the season of Subara.
St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Diocese
Kepha
Vocations
Answering
the Call
Inside the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great, and the young priests now serving our parishes.
ExclusiveMeet the clergy of the eparchy
PlusSubara: four Sundays of announcements
Contents
Fall 2025
Features
- 4
Answering the Call
The Seminary of Mar Abba the Great, and three of the eparchy's newest priests.
- 6
The Men Who Serve
Faces and assignments of the priests of the eparchy, from El Cajon to Las Vegas.
- 8
Four Weeks of Announcements
Subara opens the East Syriac year and leads the Church to Christmas.
In every issue
- From the Editors3
- Parish Spotlight: St. Barbara10
- Parish Spotlight: Our Lady of Perpetual Help11
- Youth Ministry Across the Eparchy12
- Churches and Institutions13
- Around the Eparchy14
- Mark Your Calendar15
- A Blessed Christmas16
Dec. 25
The Nativity of the Lord
Christmas falls on a Thursday this year. Ask your parish office for its Christmas Mass times.
Kepha is published quarterly for St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Diocese, the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle. Fall 2025 edition.
Eparchy Office 1627 Jamacha Way, El Cajon, CA 92019. 619-579-7997. office@stpeterdiocese.org
Cathedral Office 619-579-7913
Design and production HQT
Photographs Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle
Mass times and event details were current at press time. Please confirm with your parish office.
From the Editors
A Season of Promise
The East Syriac year does not begin in January. It begins four Sundays before Christmas, with Subara, the season of announcements: the angel's message to Zechariah, to Mary, and to Joseph that God is about to keep his promise.
It is a fitting season for an issue about vocations. Every priest in the eparchy began with an announcement of his own, a sense that God was asking something of him, and a decision to answer. Our cover story visits the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great, where men prepare for the priesthood, and introduces three of the priests ordained for our parishes in the last few years.
On pages 6 and 7 you will find the faces of the clergy who serve the eparchy, and on page 8 a guide to the Sundays of Subara.
Pray for the priests who serve you, and for the young men who may yet be called.
With prayers for a holy seasonThe editors of KephaSt. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Diocese
Answering the Call
On Monument Hill Road in El Cajon, the eparchy forms its own priests at a seminary named for a patriarch of the Church of the East.
The Seminary of Mar Abba the Great stands on Monument Hill Road in El Cajon, a short drive from the cathedral. It is where men who believe they are called to the priesthood in the eparchy are formed in prayer, study, and the life of the Chaldean Church.
Who was Mar Abba?
Mar Abba the Great led the Church of the East as its catholicos-patriarch in the sixth century. Born a Zoroastrian in Persia, he became a Christian, studied at the great school of Nisibis, and as patriarch worked to renew the discipline and learning of the Church. He is remembered as a confessor who suffered for the faith.
The rector
The seminary's rector is Fr. Andrew Younan, who was ordained a priest on July 3, 2004. He also serves at St. Peter Cathedral and has been the eparchy's vicar for clergy and director of religious education.
The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.Luke 10:2
Our newest priests
The eparchy has ordained several priests in the last few years. Fr. Tristan Farida, who studied at the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great, was ordained in 2022 and serves at St. Joseph in Spring Valley, where he is also a youth minister. Fr. Raymond Sliva was ordained on May 26, 2022, and Fr. Christopher Somo on May 18, 2023, and is now a youth minister at the cathedral.
How a vocation begins
Most priests describe a quiet, persistent question rather than a single moment. The first step is a conversation with a parish priest. The eparchy's website links to a vocations page for men who want to learn more about the process.
What every family can do
Pray for vocations by name: for the men in formation now, and for the boys at your own parish who may one day be asked. A word of encouragement from a parent or grandparent often matters more than anything else.
The Men Who Serve
The priests of the eparchy and where they serve, as listed by the eparchy. Assignments change from time to time; your parish office has the latest.
Archdeacon Sabri KejboRetired, helping in San Diego County parishes
Fr. Michael BazziRetired, helping in San Diego County parishes
Fr. Mikhael KhoshoHelping the parishes in El Cajon
Fr. Fawzi HannaServing the San Diego parishes
Fr. Roni SchamounOrdained 2021
Fr. Lucian BabakaPastor, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Orangevale
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us.Isaiah 9:5
Four Weeks of Announcements
The Chaldean year begins with Subara, the season in which God announces that his promise is about to be kept.
The word subara means announcement. The season begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which this year falls on November 30, and it opens the liturgical year of the East Syriac tradition.
The Sundays of Subara
Each Sunday's Gospel tells of an announcement. On the first, the angel Gabriel appears to the priest Zechariah in the temple and tells him that his wife Elizabeth will bear a son. On the second, Gabriel is sent to Mary in Nazareth. On the third, John the Baptist is born. On the fourth, an angel speaks to Joseph in a dream and tells him not to be afraid.
A season of preparation
Subara is the Chaldean counterpart of the Advent many neighbors know: a season of waiting, prayer, and preparation for the birth of Christ. Its hymns are full of joy and expectation.
Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.Luke 1:38
Yalda: the birth
After the four Sundays of Subara comes Yalda, the Nativity. Christmas falls on Thursday, December 25, this year. Christmas Mass times vary from parish to parish, and every parish office will have its schedule well before the feast.
Preparing well
Subara is a natural time for confession. At St. Peter Cathedral confession is heard at every daily and weekend Mass, and at St. Michael, St. John, and St. Joseph during the Sunday Masses. The cathedral's adoration chapel is open around the clock for anyone who wants a quiet hour before Christmas.
Then the Epiphany
Twelve days after Christmas, on January 6, the Church celebrates Denha, the Epiphany: the baptism of Christ in the Jordan, when the voice of the Father and the descent of the Spirit revealed the Holy Trinity. A new season begins, and with it a new year of Kepha.
Las Vegas, Nevada
St. Barbara Chaldean Catholic Church
St. Barbara serves the Chaldean Catholic community of Las Vegas from its church on Meadows Lane, framed by tall palms against the desert sky.
The parish celebrates Mass on Saturday at 11am and 6pm in Chaldean, and on Sunday at 11am in Chaldean and Arabic. On the first Friday of each month there is a Mass at 11am. Confession is available before or after Mass.
At Christmas the sanctuary is dressed in red: wreaths on either side of the crucifix and poinsettias around the altar, as in the photograph below.
St. Barbara is the eparchy's parish in Nevada and belongs to its East Vicariate.
Mass times
- 1st Friday
- 11am
- Saturday
- 11am and 6pm Chaldean
- Sunday
- 11am Chaldean and Arabic
Clergy
Visit
Address
4514 Meadows Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89107
Phone
702-542-3390
Email
stbarbarachaldeanchurch@gmail.com
Orangevale, California
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chaldean Church
In Orangevale, east of Sacramento, Our Lady of Perpetual Help serves the Chaldean and Assyrian Catholic families of the Sacramento area. Its golden domes are visible from Hazel Avenue.
Sunday Mass is celebrated at 11am in Chaldean and Arabic, and confession is available before or after Mass.
Inside, a richly decorated sanctuary of icons and twisted columns surrounds the altar, shown below during Mass.
The parish takes its name from the much-loved icon of the Mother of God, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in which the Virgin holds the Christ Child as angels show him the instruments of his Passion.
Mass times
- Sunday
- 11am Chaldean and Arabic
Visit
Pastor
Fr. Lucian Babaka
Address
7625 Hazel Ave, Orangevale, CA 95662
Phone
916-990-0150
Confession
Before or after Mass
Youth and Family
Youth Ministry Across the Eparchy
From El Cajon to the Central Valley, priests of the eparchy are given the care of its young people.
Youth ministry in the eparchy is led by its priests. At St. Peter Cathedral, Fr. Daniel Shaba and Fr. Christopher Somo serve as youth ministers; at St. Joseph in Spring Valley, Fr. Tristan Farida; and in Northern California, Fr. David Stephen coordinates youth ministry across the parishes of the Central Valley and the Bay Area.
The Northern Vicariate holds a youth retreat every year, a weekend away for young people to step back from the noise of the world and listen for God.
Retreats, youth nights, and other events are announced on the cathedral's social media and through parish bulletins.
Getting involved
- Ask your parish priest who leads youth ministry in your parish.
- Follow @stpeterchaldean on Instagram and Facebook for event dates.
- Northern California families can reach their parish youth representative through the parish office.
- Parents can help as chaperones and drivers.
Every Church and Institution
The parishes, missions, and institutions of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle, by vicariate.
Southern California
St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Cathedral1627 Jamacha Way, El Cajon, CA 92019619-579-7913
St. Michael Chaldean Catholic Church799 East Washington Ave, El Cajon, CA 92020619-444-9911
St. John Chaldean Catholic Church1763 North 1st St, El Cajon, CA 92021619-558-5588
St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic ChurchSpring Valley, CA619-754-4222
St. Paul Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church13050 Vanowen St, North Hollywood, CA 91605818-765-3665
St. George Chaldean Catholic Church4807 W McFadden Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92704714-531-7760
Mar Narsai MissionTemecula, CA
Rabban Hormizd MissionRiverside, CA
Northern California
St. Thomas Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church2901 North Berkeley Ave, Turlock, CA 95382209-668-4500
St. Mary's Assyrian Chaldean Church109 North First St, Campbell, CA 95008408-378-6212
St. Matthew Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church3005 6th St, Ceres, CA 95307209-541-1660
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chaldean Church7625 Hazel Ave, Orangevale, CA 95662916-990-0150
St. Mary's MissionMarina, CA
East Vicariate
Mar Abraham Chaldean Catholic Church6816 East Cactus Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85254480-912-1554
Holy Family Chaldean Catholic Church16612 North 21st Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85023480-905-1545
St. Barbara Chaldean Catholic Church4514 Meadows Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89107702-542-3390
Holy Cross Mission19 West Bruce Ave, Gilbert, AZ 85233480-596-6798
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Mission215 S Craycroft Rd, Tucson, AZ 85711
Holy Spirit MissionHouston, TX
St. Joseph MissionDallas, TX
Institutions
Eparchy Office1627 Jamacha Way, El Cajon, CA 92019619-579-7997, office@stpeterdiocese.org
Seminary of Mar Abba the Great1400 Monument Hill Rd, El Cajon, CA 92020
Sons of the Covenant Monastery1111 Pepper Dr, El Cajon, CA 92021619-454-2686
St. Peter Media CenterEl Cajon, CA
Around the Eparchy
Christmas Mass Times
Christmas falls on a Thursday this year. Each parish sets its own Christmas schedule and announces it in the weeks before the feast, in its bulletin and on social media.
The cathedral's regular schedule continues through the season: Sunday Masses at 8am in Arabic, 10am in English, 12pm in Chaldean, and 4pm in English.
Pray Subara with the Emmanuel App
The Emmanuel Chaldean Prayer app follows the East Syriac calendar day by day, with the prayers and readings of each Sunday of Subara.
It is free on the App Store and Google Play. Search for "Emmanuel Chaldean Prayer".
Subara to Denha
The Sundays of announcements, Christmas, and the Epiphany.
First Sunday of Subara
The annunciation to Zechariah. The East Syriac year begins.
Second Sunday of Subara
The annunciation to Mary.
Third Sunday of Subara
The birth of John the Baptist.
Fourth Sunday of Subara
The angel speaks to Joseph in a dream.
Christmas
The Nativity of the Lord. Ask your parish for its Mass times.
Epiphany (Denha)
The baptism of the Lord and the revelation of the Trinity.
Special Needs Mass
Every first Sunday at 2:30pm in English, St. Peter Cathedral.
Adoration
The cathedral adoration chapel is open around the clock.
From the editors of Kepha
A blessed Christmas
And a holy new year to every family of the eparchy. Our winter issue arrives in January.
Christmas Mass times: call your parishSt. Peter's Chaldean Catholic DioceseChaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle
1627 Jamacha Way, El Cajon, CA 92019
Eparchy Office 619-579-7997 · stpeterdiocese.org
Kepha · Fall 2025Delivered to the homes of parishioners across the eparchy. To update your address, contact your parish office.
About this issue
The fall issue is about vocations. Its cover story visits the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great in El Cajon, explains who Mar Abba was, and introduces three of the eparchy's newest priests. A two-page roster follows with the faces and assignments of the clergy who serve the parishes of the eparchy.
As the year turns toward Christmas, a heritage feature walks through Subara, the four Sundays of announcements that open the East Syriac year. Parish profiles go to St. Barbara in Las Vegas and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Orangevale, a family page gathers the eparchy's youth ministry, and the issue closes with the directory and the Christmas calendar.
Inside this issue
- p. 3From the Editors
- p. 4Answering the CallThe Seminary of Mar Abba the Great, and three of the eparchy's newest priests.
- p. 6The Men Who ServeFaces and assignments of the priests of the eparchy, from El Cajon to Las Vegas.
- p. 8Four Weeks of AnnouncementsSubara opens the East Syriac year and leads the Church to Christmas.
- p. 10Parish Spotlight: St. Barbara
- p. 11Parish Spotlight: Our Lady of Perpetual Help
- p. 12Youth Ministry Across the Eparchy
- p. 13Churches and Institutions
- p. 14Around the Eparchy
- p. 15Mark Your Calendar
- p. 16A Blessed Christmas
Stories, schedules, and photographs in this issue come from the diocese's website, stpeterdiocese.org. Mass times and event details were current when the issue was prepared; readers should confirm them with their parish office.
