Mar George Garmo
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Mar George Garmo was the Archbishop of the Chaldean Catholic Church Archeparchy of Mosul (Mausiliensis Chaldaeorum) in Iraq from September 14, 1980 until his death on September 9, 1999.
[edit] Biography
He was born on Georges Francis Garmo December 8, 1921 in Tel Keppe near Mosul, Iraq. Bishop Garmo entered the Chaldean Patriarchal Seminary in 1934; in 1939 he left to Rome to further his studies. While in Rome, Bishop Garmo was ordained a priest on December 8, 1945. He received a Ph.D in Divinity and a Masters Degree in Philosophy from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome.
During this time there was a scarcity of educated Catholic priests in Iraq. As Bishop Garmo was studying to receive a Ph.D in philosophy, he was requested by the Patriarchate to return to Iraq to minister to the growing Chaldean Patriarchal Seminary, which at the time lacked an extensive Theology and Philosophy department and staff. Bishop Garmo returned to Iraq in the summer of 1947, where he would spearhead the new and improved Philosophy and Theological studies at Chaldean Patriarchal Seminary the following year. Following his first year as a teacher, in 1949 he was elevated to rector of the Seminary, in which capacity he served until September 1960. During his tenure as Seminary Rector, Bishop Garmo was assisted by the late Patriarch Mar Raphael Bidawid before his elevation to the Patriarchate.
The then current Patriarch Mar Paul II Cheiko appointed Rev. Garmo as pastor of Mother of God Parish in Southfield, Michigan. In 1964, while serving as pastor of Mother of God Church, Monsignor Garmo began fundraising drives, with the help of the Parishoners and Parish council he was able to purchase a nine-acre plot of land in Southfield on Telegraph Road. After the completion of the church, he continued fundraising with the members of the Chaldean Iraqi American Association of Michigan (CIAAM), to raise funds to transfer ownership of three-acres of the church's nine-acre property to the CIAAM to build a Chaldean social club, which is Southfield Manor. Mother of God Cathedral still stands on this property today. In 1964, Msgr. Garmo was transferred back to Baghdad to serve for two years before he returned to Southfield. On September 27, 1966, Msgr. Garmo was again appointed Pastor of Mother of God Church and Rev. Jacob Yasso Associate Pastor.
Under Bishop Garmo's supervision as Pastor of Mother of God Church there were many significant milestones for the Parish and the Chaldean community. In July 1972, the community celebrated the groundbreaking of a newly built Mother of God Parish, as well as a social hall that was dedicated by His Beatitude the Patriarch Mar Paul II Cheiko on May 15, 1973. In September, 1976, a convent for the Chaldean Sisters was opened on the church's property. Also, while serving as Pastor for Mother of God Church on September, 1977 Msgr. Garmo received Mar Sarhad Jammo, then Rev. Jammo as an Associate Pastor. On April 25, 1979 Msgr. Garmo began building a new and larger Mother of God Church adjacent to the still standing church which would be converted to the present church's rectory. The new church was completed and dedicated on September 13, 1980 by Patriarch Mar Paul II Cheiko. The following day, September 14, 1980 Monsignor Garmo was consecrated Archbishop of Mosul by His Beatitude the Chaldean Patriarch. He served as Archbishop of Mosul until September 9, 1999 when he died of cancer.
[edit] Episcopal lineage
| Episcopal Lineage | |
| Consecrated by: | Mar Paul II Cheiko |
| Date of consecration: | September 14, 1980 |
| Preceded by Emmanuel Daddi |
Archbishop of Mosul 1980–1999 |
Succeeded by Paulos Faraj Rahho |
Archbishop George Garmo was Co-Consecrated By:
- Mar Raphaël I Bidawid
- Bishop Abdul-Ahad Sana
Archbishop George Garmo was the Principal Co-Consecrator of:
- Archbishop Stéphane Katchou
- Bishop Ibrahim Namo Ibrahim
- Bishop Youssef Ibrahim Sarraf
- Archbishop Djibrail Kassab
[edit] External links
- Kaldu.org - Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle website
- Catholic Hierarchy.org
