from the EDITOR
from the EDITOR PUBLISHED BY The Chaldean News, LLC EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Vanessa Denha-Garmo MANAGING EDITOR Joyce Wiswell CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Anita Bodiya Michael Bouchard Bianca Kasawdish Jovan Jane Kassab Ken Marten Michael Sarafa Dave Trott PROOFREADER Lisa Kalou ART & PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative Joseph Sesi PHOTOGRAPHERS Razik Tomina OPERATIONS Interlink Media DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Martin Manna CIRCULATION Stacey Sheena CLASSIFIEDS Joyce Wiswell SALES Interlink Media SALES REPRESENTATIVES Interlink Media Sana Navarrette Stacey Sheena MANAGERS Vanessa Denha-Garmo Martin Manna Michael Sarafa SUBSCRIPTIONS: PER YEAR THE CHALDEAN NEWS 30850 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 220 BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 WWW.CHALDEANNEWS.COM PHONE: (248) 996-8360 Publication: The Chaldean News (P-6); Published monthly; Issue Date: June 2015 Subscriptions: 12 months, . Publication Address: 30850 Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, Michigan 48025; Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Farmington Hills Post Office Postmaster: Send address changes to “The Chaldean News 30850 Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, MI 48025” Blessed with the bread and wine When I started second grade at Holy Trinity in California, I began practicing my First Holy Communion. Most of the time I was in a bathing suit as we had a pool and San Diego climate is perfect for year-round swimming. I put a white towel around my head and pretended to walk down the church aisle. I would say “amen” as I approached the altar visualizing a priest handing me a host. Instead I would eat a chip and do it over again. Sometimes I would mix it up and pretend I was getting married and the white towel was the veil for my wedding day, not for my communion. When the real day came, I felt special and honored to be part of God’s church. Of course at 7 years old I didn’t fully comprehend the magnitude of receiving the blood and body of Christ as I do today, but I knew that it was a blessing. With few relatives and friends in San Diego in the 1970s, we went to lunch after with my parents and sisters. I remember getting a camera as a gift and capturing the day. It was that day I fell in love with taking pictures. This year I got to participate in another very special communion — my daughter’s. I was so excited yet stressed planning the event. I had no VANESSA DENHA-GARMO EDITOR IN CHIEF CO-PUBLISHER reason to stress out. I had Lawrence and Andy from Top that Table in charge. Like they always do, they transformed the afternoon into something spectacular. I had a “small” luncheon for a Garmo and Denha group. I kept it to close relatives and friends. I wanted a religious theme – something biblical. So they created a Bible-storied theme room at Shenandoah. Liz at Paradise Cake was able to design a tasty dessert that replicated the Bible stories that Lawrence and Andy created on the tables – from a long, wooden Last Supper table to a Noah’s Ark candy table equipped with animals. The real important part was at church — Fr. Jeff at St. Fabian engaged the packed mass with his age-appropriate homily that explained the Holy Sacrament in a sweet and touching way to a class of second graders. I want to personally thank all my vendors including Shenandoah where the food was delicious and the service superb, photo booth My Party, Yvonne’s Invitations, Eugene Clark’s fun entertainment and Kaman Arts Handimals, photographer Razik Tomina and my fabulously creative videographer Fadi Attisha. We are in the communion season and this month we feature a series of photos and quotes from the communicants. Each child realized the true blessing that occurred on the day they received Jesus Christ in body and blood for the first time. May we all wish them blessings on this important time in their lives. Alaha Imid Koullen (God Be With Us All) Vanessa Denha-Garmo vdenha@chaldeannews.com Follow her on Twitter @ vanessadenha Follow Chaldean News on Twitter @chaldeannews Clockwise form top: Vanessa’s communion photo; Elayna on her special day; Grandma, Vanessa, Elayna and Ron; the Last Supper table and Noah’s Ark cake. 6 CHALDEAN NEWS JUNE 2015
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