This past week, we visited St. Joseph Chaldean Catholic Church - Troy, MI to film a traditional Chaldean mass in the Chaldean language of Aramaic by Father Patrick Setto. Metro Detroit is home to the world’s largest Chaldean population in the world, with an estimated 200,000 people. Chaldeans began immigrating at the turn of the 20th century in search of better economic and religious freedom and again in the 50s and 60s as tensions grew in Iraq.
In 1974, Father Patrick Setto’s parents settled here and began their life in Troy, MI. Father Setto, 34, is now in his sixth year of priesthood, making him one of the youngest priests we have filmed with. Father Setto explained that he grew up Catholic and was always naturally attracted to spiritual life; he would even play mass as a child. He recalled moments as he was growing up in secular school, remembering friends coming to him for support and advice. At 18 years old, Setto went on a retreat that set in stone his passion and calling to serve in the church. He explained that this life fulfills him in ways that no job, relationship, or other extracurricular activity ever did.
As a young priest, Father Setto sometimes faces challenges with the older generations, but he finds that his perspective brings God and priests down to a more comprehensible level for the younger generation and makes God easily accessible to them. One thing Father Setto enjoys is dancing which is commonly taboo to the older generations, but Father Setto interprets his dance as a celebration of Jesus and demonstrates that Jesus and priests are relatable and human. He noticed that many people see religion as dark with rules and regulations, but Father Setto wants people to see that priests are joyful, happy, and relatable.
Father Setto also enjoys painting and singing and was kind enough to share his paintings and voice with us. As a priest, he listens to some of the darkest stories of people's lives, and expressed that painting is his form of therapy and time of release. Father Setto paints for two hours every afternoon with Assyrian Artist, Reni Stephan at Lamassu Art Studio.
We also visited the Chaldean Cultural Center this week located inside the Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield to gain some history insight on the Chaldean community. We met with three Metro Detroit-based Chaldean women, Historian and Board Member, Mary Romaya; Executive Director, author, and filmmaker, Weam Namou; and Chair of the Board of Directors, Judy Jonna.
All three women offered insight to the Chaldean community from the early immigration journeys to Michigan to an understanding of how faith and family are the cornerstone of our Chaldean community here. They also shared some wonderful stories about the early merchant store owners that came to Detroit in search of the American dream after departing Iraq for a wide range of reasons including religious persecution.
Thank you to the Chaldean community for allowing us into your sacred spaces and your unbelievable amount of hospitality and generosity. The Chaldean community is a much needed story to be told in this film on our Metro Detroit Christian brothers and sisters.