By Baghdadhope
Photo by Kaldaya.net
After 7 years of service at the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Peter in San Diego (California) Father Felix Shabi, Msgr. Felix Shabi since December 7, 2007, when he was appointment as Chorepiscop, is now part of the Chaldean family in Arizona where he was officially presented to the faithful by the bishop of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle, Msgr. Sarhad Y. Jammo, on April 19 in the church of Mar Auraha.
A young priest fluent in English will therefore help to guide spiritually the families in Arizona, about 700 among old and new comers from Iraq. Great was the ceremony of farewell to Msgr. Shabi held on April 16 in the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Peter in San Diego to which hundreds of faithful and many priests were present.
There was, of corse, Msgr. Jammo, Msgr. Bawai Soro, Father Michael J. Bazzi and Father P. Polis Khammi, pastors of the Cathedral, Father Andrew Younan, rector of the seminary dedicated to the Mar Abba the Great, Father Sabri A. Kejbo of the Chaldean church of St. Michael in San Diego and to emphasize the atmosphere of brotherhood among the churches the pastor of the Syriac Catholic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in San Diego, Father Hanna Emad al-Shaikh.
Msgr. Felix Shabi was born in Karamles, not far from Mosul, in 1975 and in 1992 he joined the Chaldean seminary dedicated to Saint Peter in Baghdad where he was ordained priest on June 29, 1988. Since 1988 to 1999 he performed his priestly service in the church of St. Joseph in Mosul and then he was sent to Rome to study. For two years he attended the Pontifical Oriental Institute where he obtained a master's degree in canon law of the Eastern churches. In November 2002 he arrived in the United States where he was appointed parochial vicar of the cathedral of Saint Peter in San Diego. Since 2004 he served in the parochial centres of Saint Barbara in Las Vegas and St. Joseph north of San Diego. Since February 2006 to July 2007 he returned to Rome to complete his studies for his doctorate. From Rome once again Father Shabi went back to San Diego where on December 7, 2007 he was appointed chorepiscop. He is now entrusted with the parochial mission of the Holy Family of Chaldeans and Assyrians west of Phoenix and the activities of the youth centers in it and in Mar Ibraham church.