Chaldeans in great numbers began leaving Iraq since the beginning of the 20th century. Most families left behind very prosperous and happy lives due to religious persecution, war and economic inequality. Many of the early Chaldean immigrants settled in Detroit, Michigan after finding work in the auto industry. Today there are over 250,000 Chaldean Catholics who proudly call the USA home. The majority of them reside in Detroit, Michigan and San Diego, California. As violence continued in Iraq so did the mass migration of the minority Christian population. In 2014 when the Islamic State (ISIS) invaded and massacred many of the northern cities and villages, the predominately Christian region experienced a mass migration of Christians who left their homeland in search of safety. Many of these families barely escaped death while leaving behind their homes, lives and history. Most were only able to escape with the clothes on their backs and then forced to wait for years before being accepted as refugees to other countries around the world. Many of them, after years of waiting, were thankfully able to arrive in Canada and begin a new life. Today about 50,000 Chaldean Catholics call Canada their new home. Our parish records show that our community has over 300 Chaldean Catholic families in Calgary alone.