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Fr. Warda M. Bashar, CSsR
Message Date: May 26, 2004 "Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ the Lord, Greetings and best wishes to all. First we would like to thank the Lord for the solidarity which you have shown to our country, you have committed yourselves to great mission: Liberating Iraq. The freedom which we are experiencing is so great. Do not worry about our future: we will learn from the present mistakes: it is the only way some times. Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ in Iraq are looking for your prayers. Almost 5 Christian families are leaving the country everyday. They are afraid: pray for us. Any information: do write to me: FR. Bashar M. Warda CSsR"
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About Fr. Warda Bashar....
I met Fr. Warda Bashar while deployed in Iraq with my Brigade Combat Team. We were in charge of the Al Rashid district which included several Christian Churches. One community, Saints Peter and Paul Chaldean Rite Catholic Church, immediately got the attention of Chaplain (Major) Murphy and me. There were six SA-6 missles and platforms lining the walls of the Church complex. We arranged to have them removed and met Father Sami Danka, rector of the seminary and senior pastor of the parish. He put us in touch with a brilliant and energetic young priest, Father Warda Bashar, who spoke perfect English. Through the administrative efforts of Fr. Bashar, we were able to provide the Churches, seminary students and nuns of Baghdad with relief and assistance to aid in the post-war rebuilding effort.
Father Bashar is an adjunct professor at Babel College, Baghdad's only Liberal Arts school. He is pastor of a thriving parish in northern Baghdad, travels frequently to Rome, Lebanon and other countries on behalf of the Chaldean Rite Christians. His friendship with coalition forces greatly facilitated a strong relationship between the Church there and Christians here in the USA.
My wife Amy made an appeal to the Catholic Parish Council Committee at Fort Bragg, NC, on behalf of the Church in Baghdad. Through her efforts, the Catholic congregation at Fort Bragg gave a generous offering for the seminary, which received books and materials valued at more than $7,000 for their dilapidated library. Father Bashar is charming, extremely intelligent, and multi-talented. It is a great privilege for me to have worked with such a fine priest who is building bridges between nations in his own way.
The Chaldean Rite Catholic Church is in communion with the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. Their tradition goes back to the Apostle Thomas, one of the original twelve. I was astounded by the beauty of the Chaldean Rite liturgy and the the piety of the Iraqi Christians. God has faithfully preserved his ancient people that have been separated from the rest of the world for so long. Father Bashar is on the cutting edge of moving the Iraqi Church into solidarity with Christian communions around the world for the first time in centuries.
-SFC John Proctor
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