The 13th annual Stride for Seminarians brought nearly 900 people to the Detroit Zoo on Sunday, September 20, 2026 despite a rainy and overcast morning. Rain or shine, the community showed up in support of Chaldean seminarians and the future of the Church.
Read MoreChaldean-owned Fresh Farms Market in Grosse Pointe finally got the attention it had been seeking from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy after a 228-day social media campaign urging him to try its pizza. Portnoy visited the family-run grocery store, owned by brothers Steve and Larry Najjar since 1997, and gave its hand-tossed, New York-style pizza a 7.9 rating. The store makes its dough and sauce in-house, and employees are preparing for a potential surge in customers when Portnoy’s One Bite Pizza Review is released.
Read MoreMike’s Fresh Market on Detroit’s east side became the center of a community-wide act of kindness on Monday, August 31, when Fifth Third Bank and social media influencer MDMotivator paid for hundreds of shoppers’ groceries. The giveaway drew such a massive crowd that Mike’s Fresh Market had to stop admitting customers around 5 PM. Owner Jamal Abro said he was proud to help local families facing rising grocery and gas prices, emphasizing that giving back is essential to being part of the community. Fifth Third, which helped finance Mike’s Fresh Market when it opened in 2004, called the store a valued client and neighborhood institution, highlighting its more than 20-year role serving Detroit residents.
Read MoreThe Greater West Bloomfield Historical Society will host “Our Local Chaldean History Exhibit” from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Orchard Lake Museum, 3951 Orchard Lake Road. The event, part of the Greater West Bloomfield Diverse History Project, is being presented in collaboration with the Chaldean Cultural Center and Chaldean Community Foundation and will explore the history, immigration, and growth of the Chaldean community in Metro Detroit and West Bloomfield. Mary Romaya, executive director of the Chaldean Cultural Center and Museum, will present “Who are the Chaldeans?” The free event will include two outdoor presentations at 1:30 and 3 p.m., due to limited museum capacity, along with light refreshments.
Read MoreCousins Jonny "Magic" Mansour and Julius "JuJu" Ballo each kept their undefeated records intact Saturday night at Detroit's Fox Theatre, headlining a card built to connect their San Diego Chaldean community with Detroit's, the largest Chaldean population in the country. Mansour, 26, stopped Ernest Bustos via second-round TKO in front of more than 3,200 fans, dropping him three times — a clean left hook to close the first round, then a body-shot combination that ended the fight at 1:47 of round two — to improve to 8-0 with three knockouts.
Read MoreHoly Cross Chaldean Catholic Church in Farmington Hills will host its 14th Annual Festival on Sunday, Aug. 30, from 1 to 9 p.m. The family-friendly celebration will bring parishioners and community members together for an afternoon and evening of faith, fellowship, and fun. Holy Cross is located at 32500 Middlebelt Road in Farmington Hills.
Read MoreRon Acho, one of Michigan's most respected trial attorneys, passed away on August 18 at age 80, survived by his wife, Rita; children Jim, Stephanie, and Greg; and grandchildren Anne, Michael, Meghan, and Mary Katharine. Visitation will be Friday, August 21 from 3-8pm at Our Lady of Sorrows Church with a Rosary at 7pm . The funeral Mass will be held there the following day, Saturday, August 22 at 10am.
Read MoreOn July 23, 2026, the Chaldean community in Detroit showed up big for Tiger baseball at Comerica Park. Chaldean Heritage Night was led by the Chaldean Catholic Diocese, who arranged for Babylon blue custom Tigers jerseys that sported the Old English “D,” the lion of Babylon, and the Chaldean cross to be distributed to the flock in attendance. The first pitch was thrown out by Fr. Pierre Konja and the St. Thomas Chaldean Church Choir performed the National Anthem. It was a memorable evening for all involved.
Read MorePresident Donald Trump is expected to hold a rally in Oakland County today, just as early in-person voting begins for Michigan's Aug. 4 primary election. Voters will choose party nominees for several key races, including governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House. Michigan remains a major battleground heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
Read MorePrime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi received a number of representatives of the Iraqi community and Iraqi businessmen from the state of Michigan at his residence in Washington, D.C. The Michigan delegation was led by directors from the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and Chaldean Community Foundation.
Read MorePrime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is visiting Washington this week and on July 12, 2026, he wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post about why he was there. Spoiler Alert: He wants to explore opportunity creation – particularly economic opportunity, but also opportunities to advance regional stability. As he stated in his opinion piece, both he and President Trump believe in results, and the focus of their discussion was investment.
Read MoreMichigan lawmakers approved a nearly $74 billion state budget after an overnight legislative session, avoiding new taxes while funding priorities such as K-12 education, higher education, Medicaid, and economic development. For Michigan's business community, the budget includes nearly $69 million in one-time funding to support small business growth ($30 million), business attraction and community revitalization ($28.6 million), and entrepreneurship programs ($9.7 million)—investments that could benefit many Chaldean-owned businesses, although funding levels are lower than in the current fiscal year.
Read MoreIraq has proposed a meeting between the Gulf countries, Iran, and Iraq to discuss regional security, reducing tensions, and improving economic ties. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Iraq is willing to host talks involving the six Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, Iran, and Iraq.
Read MoreArchbishop Bashar Matti Warda of the Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Erbil has called on newly installed Chaldean Patriarch Mar Paulos III Nona to advocate for Ankawa, Iraq’s largest Christian district, and help ensure its residents have a voice in decisions affecting their future. Speaking during a welcoming ceremony for the patriarch in Ankawa, Warda emphasized the city’s historic role as a stronghold of Christianity, recalling its survival through centuries of persecution and its importance as a refuge for Christians throughout Iraq’s history.
Read MoreNewly installed Chaldean Patriarch Mar Paulos III Nona met with a Yezidi delegation, including three members of parliament, at the Chaldean Patriarchate in Baghdad on June 10. The two sides reflected on the deep historical ties between their communities and the shared suffering endured under ISIS, including persecution, displacement, and massacres in places such as Mosul and Sinjar.
Read MoreZenit News reports growing concerns that renewable energy projects in southeastern Turkey are disproportionately affecting Christian and Yazidi minority communities through land expropriations and development projects. A key example is the proposed G25 Solar Power Plant near the historic Chaldean Christian village of Aynwardo (Gülgöze) in the Tur Abdin region.
Read MoreTuesday, May 26, 2026, Iraqi Prime Minister Mr. Ali Falih Al-Zaidi visited Mar Yousif Church in the Al-Mansour district of Baghdad, where he extended his congratulations to His Beatitude Patriarch Younan III Nona on assuming the Patriarchal See of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and throughout the world.
Read MoreRep. Tom Kuhn, the representative who introduced the Chaldean American Month bill, said Michigan’s recognition is a historic first that highlights the vital economic, cultural, and community contributions of Chaldean, Assyrian, and Syriac Americans. He emphasized that the designation is about ensuring these communities are seen, valued, and celebrated, while encouraging other states to follow Michigan’s lead.
Read MoreSanan Atou never imagined he would one day be stranded in Iraq — a country he left as a child and barely remembers. But today, the former Macomb Township resident is living in hiding in Baghdad after being deported from the United States earlier this year, just before conflict erupted between the U.S. and Iran.
Read MoreAfter months of political deadlock, Iraq has taken a key step forward with the appointment of a new prime minister-designate. President Nizar Amidi has tasked businessman Ali Al-Zaidi with forming the next government, following an agreement among major Shia political factions to move past the stalemate.
Read More