Religion
Francis Kalabat
born 1970 · Chaldean Catholic bishop
Kuwait-born Chaldean priest trained in Detroit who has led the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle of Detroit since 2014, the church of Metro Detroit's large Iraqi Christian community.
- Born
Kuwait City, Kuwait
age 56- Birth name
- Francis Yohana Kalabat
- Also known as
- Francis Y. Kalabat
- Detroit years
- 1990s–
- Field
- Religion
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Kalabat was born in Kuwait City in 1970 to a Chaldean family with roots in Iraq. After studying philosophy in San Diego he trained for the priesthood at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and was ordained in 1995 by Bishop Ibrahim Namo Ibrahim, the first Chaldean bishop of Detroit. He served as associate pastor at Mother of God Church in Southfield, the Chaldean cathedral parish, and from 2001 as pastor of St. Thomas Church in West Bloomfield and director of vocations for the eparchy, as the Chaldean community moved from Detroit's Seven Mile corridor into the northern suburbs. In May 2014 Pope Francis named him eparch of St. Thomas the Apostle of Detroit, succeeding Ibrahim, and he was installed that June. He speaks Arabic, English and Aramaic, the historic language of the Chaldean church. In 2017 he was also named administrator of the Chaldean Eparchy of Addai in Toronto.
Highlights
- Trained at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit
- Ordained in 1995 by Bishop Ibrahim Namo Ibrahim
- Pastor of St. Thomas Chaldean Church, West Bloomfield, from 2001
- Eparch of St. Thomas the Apostle of Detroit since 2014
- Also administrator of the Toronto Chaldean eparchy from 2017
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 2
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · 1990s
Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Detroit's Catholic seminary, where Kalabat completed his theological training.
Worked here · 2001–2014
St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church (West Bloomfield)
Suburban Chaldean parish Kalabat led as pastor before becoming bishop.