Mar Shemmon Bar Sabbae Assyrian – Chaldean Catholic Church in Tbilisi-Georgia

Briefly about us

The Assyrian – Chaldean Catholic Mission in Republic of Georgia was established on May 3, 1995 under the direction of the Apostolic Nuncio to Georgia H. E. Archbishop Jean Paul Gobel, in accordance with His Holiness, Chaldean Patriarch of Babylon, Mar Raphael I Bidawid, also H. E. Mar Ibrahim N. Ibrahim Bishop Emeritus of St. Thomas the Apostle Chaldean Catholic Diocese of USA and the Pastor of the Assyrian – Chaldean Catholic Mission in Republic of Georgia, Father Benny Betyadgar.

It is presented by Parishes of Tbilisi, the Capital city of Georgia and the village of Gardabani, 33 kilometers away from the capital, there the Assyrians live compactly.

Mar Shemmon Bar Sabbae Assyrian – Chaldean Catholic Church in Tbilisi was sanctified on October 17, 2009. The initial goal was to elucidate and disseminate the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ, but taking into consideration difficult economic conditions, our Church together with the Church Council took a decision to carry out humanitarian and education projects together with spiritual ones.

To this day we continue to work in areas that are vital for the development and integration of our community.

Main directions

Spiritual

• Divine Liturgy (study of rite of the liturgy for children)

• Catechism classes (for youth and adult groups) 

• Bible meetings (for children and youth)

• Preparation of catechists

• Sumer/winter camps (for children and youth)

• Church Choir classes (for children, youth and adults)

Educational

• Church school (subjects): modern Aramaic language, Georgian language, English

• Psychology classes

• Schoolchildren assistance 

• Student financial assistance

• Video conferences "traits of a healthy personality"

• Book publishing

Humanitarian

• regular project (providing people with food and clothes annually)

• one-time projects (food, clothes, shoes)

• Medical care (treatment, medicines)

More about spiritual activity

Divine liturgy

The activity of the Assyrian-Chaldean Catholic Mission in Georgia began in the most difficult time. On father Benny Betyadgar’s arrival, a group was established to teach native Aramaic writing. Knowledge of the language and writing facilitated the study of Liturgy structure and reading of the Holy Scripture. 

Catechism and Bible meetings

Bible meetings have been holding both for young people and the representatives of more mature generation in Tbilisi and Gardabani. Together with conversations and Bible meetings father Benny prepared Catechists who conducted religious education lessons with children in Tbilisi and Gardabani, getting them ready for the first communion and explaining Holy Scripture. Children were also introduced to the history of religion. During the years of the Mission in Georgia, more that 200 children received their first communion in our Church.

Summer/Winter camps

The Assyrian-Chaldean Catholic Church annually takes children and teenagers for a few days for conduction summer/winter camps and meetings. Time of being together is used fruitfully with educational and upbringing twist. The program for camps prepared by professional teachers is various, including quizzes, intellectual games and different activities, lectures and seminars. 

Church Choir

Since the very first day a great attention was paid to the studies of ancient religious chants which came to us thanks to oral tradition. There are representatives of two generations in the choir and if we take into consideration, the male and female choir created in 2009, there is already the third generation of parishioners in the choir. During the period from 1995 to 2009 three CDs and an audiocassette with eastern chants were recorded by Assyrian-Chaldean Church Choir. Also, several concerts were organized.

More about educational activity

Church school

In 2000 Assyrian-Chaldean Catholic Mission in Georgia founded Sunday school of St. Martyr Mar Shemmon Bar Sabbae. The lessons were held twice a week (on Saturday and Sunday) About 75-80 students from Tbilisi, Gardabani and the Village of Dzveli Kanda visited school annually despite their confessional belonging. Thanks to the educational activities of the school and Mission during these 30 years many Assyrians got learned their native language. 

Despite of the spiritual twist of the school, lessons in other subjects were held. The curriculum of different years, together with the lessons of modern Aramaic language, Eastern chants and history of religion, included English and Georgian languages as well as computer courses. 

Students' assistance

During several years, usually at the beginning of every educational year the particular amount is given from the church fund for purchasing school stationary, books, clothes and foot wear for school children. The project is carried out in Tbilisi as well as in Gardabani. The children from needy families were chosen for this project despite their confessional belonging.

Book publishing 

Activity of the Assyrian-Chaldean Catholic Church in Georgia is versatile and develops into various fields, including the spiritual and social life of the community. One of such directions of spiritual and educational activity of the Church, is publishing books. It was conditioned on the one hand in the absence of corresponding spiritual and secular literature in Russian and Georgian languages and on the other hand, an urge towards a simple spiritual contribution to the treasury of our people. Throughout the years various publications were completed.

1. “The New Testament” “Apostle Paul’s Epistles” (Modern Aramaic, Tbilisi 2000)

2. “The rogation of the Ninevites” (Language: Modern Aramaic, Tbilisi 2002)

3. The Prayer–book “Khudra” (Language: Old Aramaic, Minsk 2008, second edition 2025)

4. “Pshitta” – Books of the Old and New Testaments in the old Aramaic (Minsk 2009)

5. “The modern Aramaic language for children” (Tbilisi 2003)

6. “The modern Aramaic language for beginners” (Russian/English versions. Tbilisi 2015/2018)

7. “Divine Liturgy” (Language: Modern Aramaic, Tbilisi 2015)

8. “Church Sacraments” Translated from old Aramaic into modern Aramaic (Tbilisi 2002)

9. “The Jerusalem Bible in modern Aramaic” (Minsk 2020)

10. “Old testament readings” (Language: Modern Aramaic, Minsk 2020)

11. “Epistles of Apostle Paul” (Language: modern Aramaic, Minsk 2020)

12. “Gospel Readings” (Language: modern Aramaic, Minsk 2020)

13. “Eastern Spiritual Hymns” (Language: modern Aramaic, Tbilisi 2022) 

More about humanitarian activity

Hard economic conditions in which all the citizens of Georgia were in 90s, have become the precondition of the humanitarian activities started by the Assyrian-Chaldean Catholic Mission. Several humanitarian projects were carried out during 24 years in Tbilisi, Gardabani and the village of Dzveli Kanda. Humanitarian projects included provision of needy people (despite their confessional belonging) with groceries, clothes, footwear and hygiene means. The provision was one time as well as on regular basis.

Medical care

As well as humanitarian projects, the church, in accordance with its possibilities, provides medical help to the needy. Medical help as well as humanitarian help is provided to Assyrians despite their confessional belonging. 

Mar Thoma the Apostle Assyrian – Chaldean Religious – Cultural Center in Gardabani

Mar Thoma the Apostle Assyrian - Chaldean Religious - Cultural Center in Gardabani functions as a Religious-Cultural and educational Center since its consecration on July 10 th 2023. 

By the construction of the Assyrian – Chaldean Religious - Cultural Center in Gardabani, we have much more chances to give our youth a decent education and bring them up in the spirit of moral principles based on the Christian values of love, friendship, tolerance, mutual respect, can also give any opportunity to be involved into different projects relevantly.