July 18, 2014, on the feast of Mar Abba the Great, two seminarians, Ankido Sipo and Simon Esshaki, were ordained Chaldean Deacons by Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo at St. Peter’s Cathedral in San Diego. They are the first deacons to be ordained within the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great.

The Church was filled with people cheering and joyful smiles. Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo in the presence of Bishop Bawai Soro and Bishop Jibrael Kassab from Australia and clergy from all over came to witness this tremendous event. Ankido Sipo entered seminary on January 3 2010, and Simon Esshaki entered the house of discernment on January 1 2009 which eventually became the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great. These two men recieved their Bachelor of Science in New Evangelization from John Paul the Great Catholic University and are currently studying from the same school to recieve their Master Degree in Biblical Theology. God willing, they will be ordained Chaldean priests in April of 2015. Continue to pray for these two great young men.

Hundreds of family members, friends, school-mates, came to support Ankido and Simon. During the Divine Mysteries, after the Lakhou Mara, the Deaconate Ceremony began. Ankido and Simon stepped towards the altar before the Bishop to recieve the Sacrament of Holy Orders. They kneeled down before the altar and raised their hands to their ears making a gesture of obiedence, as a sign that they would pay very close attention to the word of the Lord. Later they kissed the Gospel and touched it upon their heads. Finally the Rector, Fr. Andrew Younan, took them by the hands and brought them to the altar, where they each bowed before the altar and kissed it.

The Bishop gave a homiliy immediately after the ceremony about the work of the Holy Spirit and how powerful he is acting in our community. Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo proudly announced that two more very suitbale young men, applied to enter the seminary.

After the Divine Mysteries, everyone went into the Hall of the Church to congradulate the two newly ordained Chaldean Deacons, Deacon Ankido Sipo and Deacon Simon Esshaki.