Pope Names Michigan Pastor To Head Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Ibrahim N. Ibrahim from the pastoral governance of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle and has appointed as bishop of the same eparchy Father Frank Kalabat, a priest of the eparchy and until now director of vocation

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the Most Reverend Ibrahim N. Ibrahim from the pastoral governance of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle and has appointed as bishop of the same eparchy Father Frank Kalabat, a priest of the eparchy and until now director of vocations for the eparchy and pastor of St. Thomas Chaldean Church, West Bloomfield, Michigan.

The appointment was publicized in Washington, May 3, by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Frank Kalabat was born in Kuwait in 1970, and moved to the United States in 1989. He was ordained a priest in 1995.

Bishop-elect Kalabat began studies for the seminary at St. Francis De Sales Center in San Diego, California, and pursued theological studies at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit.

Assignments after ordination included associate pastor, Mother of God Parish in Southfield, Michigan, 1995-2001; and pastor of St. Thomas Parish, director of vocations and director of the Center for Re-Evangelization, 2001-present.

There are an estimated 150,000 Catholics in the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas. The jurisdiction extends to the eastern states of the United States.
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