Magazine design · St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Diocese
Kepha, Summer 2025: Lift High the Cross
Kepha's summer issue goes inside the Sons of the Covenant Monastery in El Cajon, visits the Marian gardens of the eparchy, and prepares for the feast of the Holy Cross.
St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Diocese
Kepha
The feast of September 14
Lift High
the Cross
Inside the Sons of the Covenant Monastery, where Chaldean monks keep an ancient way of prayer.
ExclusiveInside the Sons of the Covenant Monastery
PlusThe Marian gardens of the eparchy
Contents
Summer 2025
Features
- 4
The Monks of Pepper Drive
Inside the Sons of the Covenant Monastery, and the parish its monks serve.
- 6
Gardens of Mary
For the Assumption, a tour of the grottos and shrines that grace our parishes.
- 8
Lift High the Cross
Why September 14 is one of the great days of the Chaldean year.
In every issue
- From the Editors3
- Parish Spotlight: St. George10
- Parish Spotlight: St. Mary's11
- Back to Catechism12
- Keeping Every Child Safe13
- Around the Eparchy14
- Mark Your Calendar15
- Give to Your Parish16
Sept. 14
The Holy Cross
The exaltation of the Holy Cross, at the heart of the season of Eliya and Sliba.
Kepha is published quarterly for St. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Diocese, the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle. Summer 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 Quiet Season
Summer slows the calendar of most parishes. School is out, catechism classes rest, and many families travel. It is a good season for the quieter parts of the faith: an hour in an adoration chapel, a rosary in a parish garden, a visit to a church you have driven past for years.
This issue is about places like that. Our cover story visits the Sons of the Covenant Monastery in El Cajon, where a community of Chaldean monks lives a life of prayer and serves the parish of St. John. A photo essay tours the Marian gardens and grottos of the eparchy, in time for the feast of the Assumption on August 15.
The season ends with one of the great feasts of the Chaldean year. On September 14 the Church exalts the Holy Cross, and the liturgy turns toward the season of Eliya and Sliba.
May your summer bring rest, and bring you closer to the Lord.
With prayers for a blessed summerThe editors of KephaSt. Peter's Chaldean Catholic Diocese
The Monks of Pepper Drive
In a quiet neighborhood of El Cajon, a community of Chaldean monks keeps a monastic tradition as old as the Church of the East.
The Sons of the Covenant Monastery stands on Pepper Drive in El Cajon, a few miles from the cathedral. It is home to a community of Chaldean monks, and it is one of the institutions the eparchy sustains for the good of every parish.
An ancient name
Long before there were monasteries in the West, the Church of the East had its bnay qyama, the sons of the covenant: men and women who bound themselves to a life of prayer and service within the local church. The monastery's name reaches back to that tradition.
A parish run by monks
The monks also serve the people of El Cajon directly. St. John Chaldean Catholic Church on North 1st Street is run by the community, and its pastor is the abbot of the monastery, Abbot Ankido Sipo.
Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks.1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Prayer around the clock of the day
At St. John, the rhythm of the monastery shapes the parish. Mass is celebrated twice every weekday, at 10am in Chaldean and 6pm in English, and four times on Sunday. Eucharistic adoration is held each weekday at 8:30am and 5pm, and confession is heard during all Sunday Masses.
The abbot
Abbot Ankido Sipo was ordained a priest on April 10, 2015. Besides leading the monastery and serving as pastor of St. John, he is administrator of the Mar Qardagh Mission in Poway.
Visiting
The monastery's chapel, with its tall crucifix above a white marble altar, appears on this issue's cover. Visitors with questions about the community can call the monastery at 619-454-2686.
Gardens of Mary
For the Assumption on August 15: the grottos and shrines where parishioners stop to pray to the Mother of God, from Turlock to Santa Ana.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.Luke 1:46-47
Taken Up into Heaven
A feast of the whole Church
On August 15 the Church celebrates the Assumption of the Virgin Mary: at the end of her earthly life, the Mother of God was taken up, body and soul, into the glory of heaven. Christians of the East have kept a feast of Mary's falling asleep on this day since ancient times, and in 1950 Pope Pius XII defined the Assumption as a dogma of the Catholic faith.
Why a grotto?
Many parish grottos recall the one at Lourdes, in France, where the Virgin appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858. A grotto gives a parish a place outdoors to stop and pray: to light a candle, leave flowers, or say a decade of the rosary on the way into Mass.
Keeping the feast
The simplest way to keep the Assumption is to visit one of the gardens on the opposite page. At St. Thomas in Turlock the shrine is lit after dark, so families can come in the cool of a summer evening. Wherever you go, bring the children, and let them choose the flowers.
Lift High the Cross
On September 14, the Church exalts the Holy Cross. For Chaldean families it is one of the great feasts of the year.
The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross recalls the finding of the cross on which Christ died, and its veneration in Jerusalem in the fourth century. The whole Church keeps the feast on September 14.
A season named for the cross
In the East Syriac calendar the cross gives its name to a season. The weeks around the feast are the season of Eliya and Sliba, Elijah and the Cross, when the readings turn to the end of all things and the return of the Lord, who will come in glory under the sign of the cross.
A sign on every door
The cross is everywhere in Chaldean life: over the doors of homes, at the top of every church, on the cover of this magazine. The eparchy's own cross, its arms ending in clusters of three circles, is the budded cross of the Chaldean and Assyrian tradition.
Keeping the feast
Families keep the day by coming to Mass, by blessing their homes, and by praying before the cross. The Emmanuel Chaldean Prayer app carries the prayers and readings of the feast.
The season of Eliya and Sliba begins in late summer and runs through the feast of the Holy Cross. See the church year chart in our spring issue.
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.Galatians 6:14
Santa Ana, California
St. George Chaldean Catholic Church
St. George serves the Chaldean Catholic families of Orange County from its church on West McFadden Avenue in Santa Ana.
The parish celebrates Mass on Sunday at 11am, and on Saturday evening at 7pm in Arabic.
Its garden grotto, shown below, is one of the most beautiful in the eparchy: a statue of the Virgin Mary set into a cave of rock, surrounded by flowers, a quiet place to pray before or after Mass.
St. George takes its name from the soldier martyr honored across the Christian East.
Mass times
- Saturday
- 7pm Arabic
- Sunday
- 11am
Visit
Address
4807 W McFadden Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92704
Phone
714-531-7760
Campbell, California
St. Mary's Assyrian Chaldean Church
In Campbell, in the heart of Silicon Valley, St. Mary's serves the Assyrian and Chaldean Catholic community of the Bay Area.
Sunday Mass is celebrated at 10am in Assyrian, and confession is available before or after Mass. The parish office is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
St. Mary's also cares for St. Mary's Mission in Marina, on the Monterey Bay.
The church's facade, with its wooden doors and round window, opens onto a sanctuary hung with deep red curtains around a crucifix and altar, and its grotto of the Virgin is shown in this issue's photo essay.
Mass times
- Sunday
- 10am Assyrian
Clergy
Visit
Address
109 North First St, Campbell, CA 95008
Phone
408-378-6212
Office hours
Mon to Sat, 10am to 4pm
Youth and Family
Back to Catechism
As summer ends, parish catechism programs open registration for a new year of classes.
Catechism is where children learn the faith they were baptized into: the prayers, the creed, the sacraments, and the life of Jesus. In the Chaldean Church it is also where they prepare for first communion.
At St. Peter Cathedral, registration for the coming year is handled online through the Catechism page at stpeterdiocese.org, and questions go to catechism@stpeterdiocese.org. Other parishes enroll through their own offices.
Parents who register early help catechists plan classes and order materials, and give their children the best start to the year.
Before the first class
- Register online or through your parish office.
- Have your child's baptism and confirmation certificate ready.
- Note any allergies or medical needs on the form.
- Ask about drop-off and pick-up times.
Our commitment
Keeping Every Child Safe
The Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle and its Safe Environment Office
The eparchy is doing everything in its power to prevent the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults by priests, other diocesan and parish staff, and volunteers.
It is committed to reaching out to anyone who has been a victim of sexual abuse, now or in the past, to cooperating with civil authorities, and to being transparent if allegations come forth. Its Safe Environment Office provides that outreach and makes sure every parish conforms to the U.S. Bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
Safe Environment programs run in all of the eparchy's parishes, schools, and administrative offices, and compliance is reviewed at each of them every year.
Anyone who believes they were the victim of sexual abuse by a member of the clergy, church staff, or a volunteer may contact the Victim Assistance Coordinator, regardless of when the abuse occurred. Reports may be made in English, Chaldean, or Arabic.
Eparchy Office1627 Jamacha Way, El Cajon, CA 92019
619-579-7997
Around the Eparchy
First Communion at the Cathedral
The diocese's First Communion page at stpeterdiocese.org carries registration for the cathedral's program, along with the notes every family should read before signing up.
Those notes cover the grade a child must be in, the class schedule, and the dates of the parent meetings, which are mandatory. Questions go to the program's email address listed on the page, not the parish office.
A Feast in Every Language
The Emmanuel Chaldean Prayer app carries the prayers of the summer feasts, from the Assumption on August 15 to the Holy Cross on September 14. It is free on the App Store and Google Play.
Search for "Emmanuel Chaldean Prayer" on your phone.
Summer at a Glance
Feasts and standing appointments from July through September.
Transfiguration
Christ is transfigured on the mountain before Peter, James, and John.
Assumption of Mary
The Mother of God is taken up, body and soul, into heaven.
Nativity of Mary
The birth of the Virgin Mary.
Holy Cross
The exaltation of the Holy Cross, at the heart of the season of Eliya and Sliba.
Special Needs Mass
Every first Sunday at 2:30pm in English, St. Peter Cathedral.
Adoration
The cathedral adoration chapel is open around the clock.
Offertory online
Give to your parish, from anywhere
Traveling this summer? The eparchy's Donate page takes offertory gifts for every church and institution across the diocese.
stpeterdiocese.org/donateSt. 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 · Summer 2025Delivered to the homes of parishioners across the eparchy. To update your address, contact your parish office.
About this issue
The summer issue looks toward September 14 and the exaltation of the Holy Cross, one of the great feasts of the Chaldean year. Its cover story goes to Pepper Drive in El Cajon and the Sons of the Covenant Monastery, the community of Chaldean monks that also runs St. John's parish.
For the feast of the Assumption, a photo essay visits the Marian grottos and gardens of the eparchy's parishes, from Turlock to Santa Ana. Parish profiles go to St. George in Santa Ana and St. Mary's in Campbell, a family page looks ahead to the new catechism year, and the issue closes with the eparchy's Safe Environment commitments and the summer calendar.
Inside this issue
- p. 3From the Editors
- p. 4The Monks of Pepper DriveInside the Sons of the Covenant Monastery, and the parish its monks serve.
- p. 6Gardens of MaryFor the Assumption, a tour of the grottos and shrines that grace our parishes.
- p. 8Lift High the CrossWhy September 14 is one of the great days of the Chaldean year.
- p. 10Parish Spotlight: St. George
- p. 11Parish Spotlight: St. Mary's
- p. 12Back to Catechism
- p. 13Keeping Every Child Safe
- p. 14Around the Eparchy
- p. 15Mark Your Calendar
- p. 16Give to Your Parish
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.
