The Mar Ibrahim Library
A Home for Our History
By Michael Antoon
On May 2, 2025, a special ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to mark a major milestone in our community’s story. The Chaldean Community Foundation officially unveiled its new campus in West Bloomfield—known as CCF West—a space that builds on the Foundation’s mission with a renewed focus on cultural preservation and community growth.
This state-of-the-art facility will house a wide range of resources, including a theater, classrooms, a business incubator, a gymnasium, dignitary meeting spaces, and the expanded Chaldean Cultural Center. The museum will now include a genocide and displacement gallery to document and honor our modern struggles. The building also features a test kitchen, a market, a brand-new radio and TV studio—the new home of the Chaldean Voice Radio—and much more.
The ribbon cutting was attended by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Iraqi Consul General in Detroit, mayors and local representatives, leaders of the CCF, and many community members and families. Each donor who supported a specific part of the building was invited to cut the ribbon for their space. For the Mar Ibrahim Library, that honor was given to His Excellency Mar Ibrahim N. Ibrahim—our first Chaldean bishop in America—alongside Fr. Marcus Shammami and Shamasha Khairy Foumia.
Honoring a Founding Shepherd
The Mar Ibrahim Library is named in honor of His Excellency Mar Ibrahim N. Ibrahim, the first Chaldean bishop in the United States and founding Eparch of the Diocese of St. Thomas the Apostle. When he arrived in America, there was no diocese, little infrastructure—just the growing needs of a displaced people. Through his leadership, a diocese was formed from the ground up, churches were built, vocations were fostered, and generations of Chaldeans found strength in their faith.
More than a bishop, he has been a shepherd, father, mentor, teacher, and advocate. In recognition of his lifelong service, the Chaldean Community Foundation presented Bishop Ibrahim with the Lifetime Humanitarian Award in September 2024. The award honors his decades of service not only to the Church, but to the broader Chaldean community, both in the United States and abroad.
The library that now bears his name stands as a tribute to his legacy—a space that fosters the same values of faith, knowledge, and identity that he championed. It creates a dedicated home for study, dialogue, and preservation of the rich heritage of the Chaldean Church and community.
A Library Rooted in Our Identity
The Mar Ibrahim Library was never meant to be just a typical library. It was designed as a sacred space—one that reflects the heart of who we are as Chaldeans. Rooted in our faith, culture, and scholarship, this library serves as a bridge between generations, offering something meaningful to everyone: students searching for understanding, researchers uncovering our past, deacons and clergy studying liturgy, and everyday community members looking to reconnect with their roots and explore the past. It is a space that celebrates the richness of our heritage and preserves it for those still to come.
A Community Effort: Built Through Generosity
The Mar Ibrahim Library was not built by one person—it was (and is being) built by all of us. Many of the books come from the personal collection of Bishop Ibrahim himself, but much of the library has been shaped by the generosity of our people. Families, deacons, and community members have opened their shelves and donated books they’ve held onto for decades—some passed down through generations.
Others are still contributing valuable works on Chaldean faith, theology, history, and culture. Even now, the Diocese is printing copies of rare manuscripts from major libraries around the world, and we’re proud to house copies of these hand-written manuscripts that were preserved by our forefathers. Many of the shamashe (deacons) of our Church have offered their own collections or those of their families to enrich this space. This is a living, growing project—one the entire community can take pride in and continue to build for generations to come.
What You’ll Find Inside
What makes the Mar Ibrahim Library truly special is the depth and diversity of what it offers. The collection spans several key categories—including liturgy, biblical studies, Church history, modern and ancient history, canon law, and much more. Every book on these shelves has been carefully selected not just for its academic merit, but for its value in preserving and deepening our spiritual and cultural understanding.
The library holds a multilingual collection, with works in English, Arabic, Aramaic, and Sureth (Chaldean Neo-Aramaic). It is designed to meet a range of needs—supporting academic research, personal study, and community enrichment. Researchers exploring the story of our ancient people will find an abundance of resources, while young Chaldeans can reflect on the foundation of our community here in Detroit and beyond. It serves as a central hub where the past and present come together, offering new generations access to the knowledge and identity that have shaped who we are.
The Archive Room: Preserving the Past
Within the library is an Archive Room—one of the most meaningful parts of the entire space. This room is dedicated to preserving rare and historical handwritten manuscripts, many of which contain our Church’s liturgical, theological, and pastoral texts from centuries past. These precious documents offer a direct link to our ancestors’ voices and beliefs, and the Archive Room ensures they are protected with the care they deserve. Over time, it is hoped that this room will grow into a major repository for Chaldean manuscripts from around the world, safeguarded under the patronage of the Chaldean Diocese for future generations.
A Place for Study and Encounter
The Mar Ibrahim Library is designed to be an active space for learning and community engagement. Alongside dedicated study areas for students and researchers, it will soon, in partnership with the Chaldean Community Foundation, host Chaldean language classes for the benefit of the community—bringing cultural preservation to life through education. With future plans for a variety of seminars, class visits, and educational events, the library aims to become a gathering place where knowledge, faith, and heritage meet for generations to come.
Looking Ahead
The official grand opening and blessing of the Mar Ibrahim Library takes place on June 4, 2025. But in many ways, its story has already begun. It stands as a reflection of who we are—faithful, resilient, and rooted in tradition. The library is more than a room of books; it’s a living commitment to preserving our identity, deepening our faith, and passing on the legacy of our community to those who come after us.