Pastoral Visit to the Virgin Mary Church in Shrewsbury, MA
Between September 12 to 14, 2025, His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak paid a pastoral visit to the Virgin Mary Church in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.
On Friday evening, His Eminence attended the evening prayer with the parish priest Abuna Toni Kasih and the faithful. At the conclusion of the service, he offered a spiritual reflection on the Feast of the Discovery of the Holy Cross. Titled, the Cross: From Discovery to Love Today we remember the story of the discovery of the Holy Cross by St. Helena, who revealed to the world the very wood upon which our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified. What was once a symbol of shame became the sign of victory and life.On the Cross, Christ stretched out His arms to embrace all humanity. It is the greatest proof of God’s love: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13).
The Cross is not only a relic of history it is the center of our Christian life. We sign ourselves with it, we carry it daily in our struggles, and we rejoice that through it we share in Christ’s victory and resurrection.
Let us boast with St. Paul: “God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). May the Holy Cross guard our homes, strengthen our faith, and remind us always of God’s unending love. On Saturday evening, the parish joyfully celebrated the Feast of the Holy Cross with prayers and beautiful Syriac hymns.
On Sunday, September 14, 2025, His Eminence Mor Dionysius John Kawak celebrated the Holy Liturgy, assisted by the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Toni Kasih, together with the deacons and choir of the parish. During the Liturgy, His Eminence ordained several of the faithful as singer, readers, and subdeacons. In his sermon, he spoke about the importance of service in the Church and the sacred calling of the deacon to be a servant in the House of the Lord. He concluded by extending his heartfelt congratulations to the clergy, deacons, and faithful on the blessed Feast of the Holy Cross.
