St. Thomas Assyrian Church (Church of the East) in New Britain, CT and The Syro-Chaldean Church Reki

Forty years ago, while Bishop Bert Schlossberg, now Metropolitan of the Syro-Chaldean Church of N. A. was a resident of Connecticut, he used to visited the St. Thomas Assyrian Church in New Britain, CT from time to time.

Bishop Bert had heard of this church almost 57 years ago when he would read theological literature to a blind Episcopalian named Harry J Sutcliffe. Father Sutcliffe had studied for the priesthood with the clergy of St. Thomas Assyrian Church in New Britain, because he could not be ordained in the the Episcopal church because of his blindness. However, the Church of the East would ordain blind men, as they were used to their clergy being blinded by the Muslims in Turkey centuries before.

In the near future, the relationship between the St. Thomas Church and the Syro-Chaldean Church of NA will be rekindled. Bishop David Flores, Bishop of the Syro-Chaldean Westchester Diocese, and St Thomas' present pastor, Kasha ("Old Man" = Priest) Fr. Pouls have struck up a friendship. Bishop David plans on visiting St. Thomas soon. The spiritual lesson to be learned here is that clearly none of God's weavings are dead ends or ever unraveled.