Exploring April
20 years of April covers
By Sarah Kittle
Throughout history, April has been a time of rebirth. It is the season you see new green shoots poking out of the ground. As the chill of winter gradually fades away, nature awakens with a vibrant burst of life, heralding the arrival of spring. With each passing day, the world undergoes a miraculous transformation as dormant buds unfurl into delicate blossoms and barren landscapes are blanketed in a tapestry of lush greenery.
Spring emerges as a season of renewal, symbolizing hope, rejuvenation, and the promise of new beginnings. From the melodious chorus of birdsong to the gentle warmth of the sun’s embrace, spring captivates the senses, inviting us to immerse ourselves in its fleeting beauty and embrace the boundless possibilities that lie ahead.
It is fitting that the first April cover for the Chaldean News was about celebrating rebirth and the establishment of a new home for many in the community - St. George Chaldean Catholic Church. In her editor letter, Vanessa Denha Garmo reflects on spring and its message of hope and talks about the movie “The Passion of the Christ” and the controversy surrounding the release. She opines that the Bible story is a narrative for all to enjoy.
Next, in 2005, we take a closer look at health trends in the community, focusing on gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s disease and colitis. Potentially embarrassing, these conditions aren’t discussed over the dinner table; however, writer Joyce Wiswell tackles the subject with grace and dignity, citing doctors and medical studies which show that Chaldeans share a propensity for these maladies with the Jewish community. In the article, a registered dietician who suffers from colitis stated, “I have learned that good health is not the absence of disease. The model of good health is doing what you can to build up your resistance.”
In 2006, Judge Diane D’Agostini takes a hard line against a proposition to allow county judges to decide which offenders will be eligible for early release. In the article, Agostini says. “If I start worrying about overcrowding, I’m not doing my job.”
The 2007 cover features the stars of Second City’s “My Cuzin’s Comedy Show,” a troupe which included, as Paul Jonna joked, “an all-brown cast.” The following year, in 2008, laughs turned to tears as the community mourned Archbishop Rahho, who was kidnapped and murdered in Mosul. The archbishop joined a cast of martyrs that stretches back to the beginnings of Christianity.
In 2009, the Chaldean News cover featured Easter art by then 12-year-old Sadeer Jabouri; a decade later, in 2019, the cover was again “All About the Resurrection.” The intervening years saw cover stories dedicated to: the Jewish-Chaldean partnership (2010); the publication of the Ma Baseema cookbook (2011); a one-on-one interview with Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim (2012); various leaders “Elected, Appointed, Jailed and Retiring,” and what that meant to the community (2013); Mikhail and Suham Kassab’s journey to America (2014); the heroin epidemic (2015); Jonathan Bach on “The Voice”; a new mosque in Sterling Heights (2017); and the opening of Our Lady of the Fields Camp (2018).
In 2020, we were “Bracing for Impact,” unsure of what the future would look like and unsettled as death and disease swept across the globe. I feel we are still recovering.
In 2021, Chaldeans had good reason to feel excited when Pope Francis went to Iraq and laid his blessing upon the land. It was the first time in history that a sitting pope visited the country; he carried a message of hope for peace and good will among all citizens, regardless of religion.
In 2022, Cal Abbo penned a story about the community’s fear and frustration in “Taken Too Soon,” an article about the over 100 Chaldeans killed in their place of business, and last year, in 2023, Dr. Adhid Miri wrote about Iraq’s alcohol ban and how it disproportionately affects Christians in the country.
In this season of rebirth, when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, we should also celebrate the promise of spring and the hope that we as humans will one day live together in total peace and prosperity. We have a long way to go but if history tells us anything it’s that working together, we are capable of great things.