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Shlomo CC,

As I said, lets just drop it.

Quote
Our first ever US-born man ordained a priest is about 30 years old now, and only speaks English and Aramaic, because English is the vernacular and Aramaic is the official. He doesn't know Arabic because Arabic is not the traditional and primary language of our Church. Those priests that come from Iraq know Arabic, but do not speak it as the primary language among the Church and Church community. Aramaic remains the traditional, official, and primary language of our Church.

But I do have to correct you on a mistake that you have made above, the first ever U.S. born priest ordained into the Chaldean Church was Fr. Jon Buffington. He was ordained in 1981 by His Beatitude, Mar Emmanuel III (Delly) of course this was before his election as Patriarch. Fr. Buffington served as Chancellor of the Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle. And he confirms that he is the very first U.S. born Chaldean Catholic priest. He is still a Chaldean priest and he resides in the Eparchy of St. Peter.

If you would like to know more about him let me know and I will provide the details that Fr. Jon feels like sharing.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

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Quote
But I do have to correct you on a mistake that you have made above, the first ever U.S. born priest ordained into the Chaldean Church was Fr. Jon Buffington. He was ordained in 1981 by His Beatitude, Mar Emmanuel III (Delly) of course this was before his election as Patriarch. Fr. Buffington served as Chancellor of the Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle. And he confirms that he is the very first U.S. born Chaldean Catholic priest. He is still a Chaldean priest and he resides in the Eparchy of St. Peter.

If you would like to know more about him let me know and I will provide the details that Fr. Jon feels like sharing.

Shlama Yuhannon,

I'm curious about this priest, Fr. Jon Buffington, in that this is the first time I've ever heard of him. We were told in St. Peter Chaldean Church that when Fr. Andrew Younan (the priest I referred to) was ordained, that he was the first American-born Chaldean priest.

I just found out Fr. Jon's picture and the info. on him in this link:
www.olpretreat.org/2008_36th_Summer_Inst.pdf [olpretreat.org]

I see now that when they told us that Fr. Andrew was the first, they meant the first American-born of Assyro-Chaldean ancestry to be ordained a Chaldean priest.

You may PM me any details that you have on Fr. Jon that you can share. Thanks for the info.

CC

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Shlomo CC,

Quote
I'm curious about this priest, Fr. Jon Buffington, in that this is the first time I've ever heard of him. We were told in St. Peter Chaldean Church that when Fr. Andrew Younan (the priest I referred to) was ordained, that he was the first American-born Chaldean priest.

I just found out Fr. Jon's picture and the info. on him in this link: www.olpretreat.org/2008_36th_Summer_Inst.pdf [olpretreat.org]

I see now that when they told us that Fr. Andrew was the first, they meant the first American-born of Assyro-Chaldean ancestry to be ordained a Chaldean priest.

You may PM me any details that you have on Fr. Jon that you can share. Thanks for the info.

What would you like to know. Write, to me, and I will e-mail Abuna Jon. I will let you know he is nearing retirement. Mar Sarhad has been trying to get him to come down to San Diego, but he does not like all the freeways. Now on the other hand if want to establish a parish in Oregon he may be willing to do so.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

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Shlomo Yuhannon,

Perhaps I'm reading the article incorrectly, but it seems to me that Fr. Jon wasn't the first non-Assyrian ordained in the Chaldean Church as the article implies that Fr. Jon was already ordained a Latin Rite priest and transferred Canonical Enrollment to the Chaldean Church - at least that's how it reads to me.

Peace,

Michael

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Shlomo Michael Thoma,

Quote
Perhaps I'm reading the article incorrectly, but it seems to me that Fr. Jon wasn't the first non-Assyrian ordained in the Chaldean Church as the article implies that Fr. Jon was already ordained a Latin Rite priest and transferred Canonical Enrollment to the Chaldean Church - at least that's how it reads to me.

No he was not a Latin priest. He was Canonically Ordained into the Chaldean Catholic Church. He is now a bi-ritual priest, but he is still priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church enrolled in the Eparchy of St. Peter.

Poosh BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

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Good Heavens - it pays to read the Forum. I knew Father Jon Buffington (he speaks Sureth, by the way) when he was serving as Secretary-Chancellor in Detroit in the 1980s and I was serving Bishop Isidore in Toronto. Father Jon and I would occasionally meet in Stratford to have dinner and attend the Shakespeare Festival, and would fairly often see one another in Detroit (I still have good friends in that part of Michigan). He and I lost track of each other several years ago, but I should like to get back in touch. Can anyone provide me with either an e-mail address or a postal address for Father Jon?

Fr. Serge

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Now it's been about a year since the "ecclesial unity" was realized. Does anyone know what is happening with Mar Bawai Soro and his group of Assyrian/Chaldean Christians? I hope things are going well. Are there any indications on what Mar Bawai's future role as a Bishop in the Catholic Church may be, if any?

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