Catholics to Fete Syrian Rite Priest

The following Jacksonville Journal article was published on February 25, 1961

By George Harmon, Journal Religion Editor

-On March 05-

A Roman Catholic minister who is the only one of his type in the United States will be honored here on March 5 at religious and social events marking the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

He is Rev. Andrew George Shashy, only priest of the Syrian rite of the Catholic Church in this country.

Father Shashy has ministered to 75 families of Syrian rite communicants in Jacksonville since Jan. 18, 1951.

Born in Nebick, Syria, he was ordained in the Syrian Cathedral at Beirut, Lebanon on Feb.16, 1936.

Father Shashy, of 284 University Blvd., came here in 1950 to visit relatives and received his appointment during what he intended to be a six months stay in this country.

He holds services for his Syrian rite communicants at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 2049 Laura St., each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Regular Catholic services are held there at other times.

The Syrian rite differs primarily in the language of the liturgy. While most Roman Catholic priests conduct rites in Latin in country, Father Shashy conducts the services in Syriac, an ancient Near Eastern language, which he calls the "language of Christ" and which was the prevalent literary language of the early Christian church.

Other differences in the ritual exist, but Father Shashy said, "We are under jurisdiction of the Pope. We have the same belief and the same sacraments as the Catholic Church."

The 130 parishioners of Father Shashy here are immigrants and descendants of immigrants who settled in Jacksonville from the Near East, primarily from 1895 to 1924. Father Shashy's own relatives here include a number of business and professional men.

Syrian rite Catholics, Father Shashy said, are scattered throughout the United States, mostly in northern metropolitan districts. They trace their background to several Near East countries.

The Syrian rite has large concentrations of communicants, he said, in Iraq, Syria, Asia, Palestine, and India.

Syrian rite parishes are under the administration world-wide of His Eminence I. Gabriel Tappouny, patriarch of Antioch, who is a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

To commemorate his anniversary, Father Shashy will celebrate a Solemn High Mass on March 5 at 10 a.m. at Holy Rosary Church.

A reception in his honor will be held at the Salaam Club on Beach Boulevard from 3 until 5 p.m. that day.