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Chaplain Uses Historic Monastery as Site for 4-23rd Soldiers' Baptism

Dec- 2-2005 » Filed Under: 172nd SBCT

Link to Full Article with 3 Photos
Chaplain (Capt.) John Grauer
4-23rd Infantry Chaplain

MOSUL, Iraq – A 1,600 year old Christian monastery located eight miles to the northeast of Nimrud or the ancient city of Kalkh, is a gathering place for Christians in a Muslim-dominated area.

The Saint Behnam Monastery was built in the last half of the 4th century and renovated during the 12th and 13th centuries.

It thrives among a Muslim-dominated population and carries on many of the ancient Christian rituals.

In October, I made arrangements for the baptism of two Tomahawk Soldiers at the monastery.

With the help of a platoon of Stryker vehicles carrying the two Soldiers along with a Catholic priest, this became a day full of memories as two American Soldiers experienced the ancient rite.

In America, it might be unusual to have an Evangelical pastor conducting a service in a Catholic church, but on this day denomination played no part.

Spc. Donald Houack and Spc. Daniel Mattair had expressed an interest in being baptized, so I pondered how we could make this baptism a reality given the resources and the environment of Iraq.

It would have been easy to do the ceremony in a chapel, but with so much history all around, conducting the baptism in a place where other Christians have gathered for centuries carried special significance.

I was able to resolve this issue by contacting one of the local Iraqi churches.

I thought a place where biblical history was made would be an unforgettable experience.

Mosul is often equated with the ancient city of Nineveh. To be baptized is a life changing commitment, and to be baptized in a place where biblical characters like Jonah walked draws on the historical significance of the region.

I arranged the baptism during a meeting between myself and Father Francis Djahola from the Saint Behnam Monastery.

Djahola attended seminary in Mosul and had made the city his home for more than 20 years.


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