May Memories
By Sarah Kittle
May is a favorite month for many people. The weather is warming, everything is green, flower shoots are peeping out of the ground and tree buds are popping out all around us. It is the month of hope, of promise, of new beginnings. Let’s look back at May cover stories over the last two decades.
The very first May cover, in 2004, celebrated Mother’s Day by covering the many changes that having a child makes in one’s life. Featuring a new mom in her forties, a mother of two kids in diapers, and a work-from-home mom of three who was juggling it all, the focus of the story was family. You don’t have to be perfect to be a mom, you just have to do your best. The rest, as my mom used to say, “will come out in the wash.”
The cover of May 2005 featured the new Pope, Benedict XVI, who brought a fresh perspective to the papacy. He certainly had some forward-thinking views, including allowing the clergy to marry and women to be ordained, that had us “Pondering the Future” as the title told.
The 2006 cover story, “How We Mourn” addressed changes to Chaldean funeral customs proposed by Chaldean clergy and community leaders. New guidelines were drawn up that outlined the changes, including eliminating the funeral procession, limiting visitation at the funeral home to one day only, and doing away with luncheons after the funeral Mass. The aim was to free up the clergy’s time to serve the community better and remove any undue strain on the deceased’s family.
In May of 2007, the community celebrated a Silver Anniversary of Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim’s life in the Church. The first bishop of the Chaldean Catholic Diocese in the United States, Ibrahim was only 14 when he went to seminary.
The next year, May 2008, must have been a busy month as it featured several events, including a fundraiser for refugees organized by Steve Acho.
In 2009, Chaldean Town businesses were singing the “Seven Mile Blues;” families were moving up and out of town and businesses were struggling. The Chaldean News covered it then and more recently covered the “last man standing” in the area. Interestingly, the Michigan Historical Commission has granted the neighborhood historical status, and a marker will soon be erected in honor of the people and businesses that put the area on the map. (Seriously, it’s still on Google Maps and in Trulia’s Neighborhood Guide).
In 2010, we were covering both national and local politics in the cover story, “Where Will It Lead? US National Health Care Act & Michigan Smoking Ban.” Who knew we’d be talking about legal marijuana in less than a decade?
“Soaring to New Heights” in 2011 celebrated the organizations that uplift the community such as the Chaldean Community Foundation, the Chaldean Cultural Center, Chaldean American Ladies of Charity, Chaldean Federation of America, and Chaldean Outreach and Community Hope. Many of these organizations still exist and still serve the community.
In 2012, “The Ultimate Gift,” we told the story of Vivian Yaldo, who donated one of her kidneys to daughter Lorraina and gave again the gift of life.
May being Spring, and Spring being a time of rebirth, a few stories over the decades focused on health and wellness, including 2013’s “Resizing their Lives” which followed three individuals on their weight loss journey, 2015’s “Spring into Shape” featuring Knevyr Kathawa, a personal trainer in San Diego, and 2019’s “Guide to Good Health.” Other health-related issues include 2020’s “Healthcare Heroes” highlighting the everyday heroes in the healthcare industry and 2021’s “A Good Shot in the Arm,” about the newly developed and controversial COVID vaccine.
2014 had us “Remembering Mar Delly” and in 2016, we were “Checking in with Bishop Yaldo” in Baghdad. In 2017, we were worrying about family members being deported with “Deportation Fears” and in 2018, we interviewed mothers who had faced the ultimate fear – losing their children – in “Surviving Loss.”
May 2022 was a contentious cover as we featured a photo essay of Akitu, the Assyrian New Year. Historically, the festival served to establish harmony with nature, upon which the people were dependent, and to re-establish the bond between the king and his subjects.
Last year, May of 2023, we wrote about “Building for the Future” and the new Chaldean center being built, referred to as the West Side Campus, CCF West, or Chaldean Town 2.0. I am happy to report that construction is underway, and the project is on time to be completed in late 2024 or early 2025.