Syriac Orthodox priest in Sweden Khuroyo Gabriel Bar Qasho passes away at 75, leaves behind legacy of service and education
SÖDERTÄLJE, Sweden — Father Khuroyo Gabriel Bar Qasho, Syriac Orthodox priest of Mor Yahqub d-Nsibin Church in Södertälje, Sweden, passed away at the age of 75 due to illness.
He was born in the village of Anhil in the historic Tur Abdin region in southeastern Turkey, in 1948 and came from a family with many priests, including his great-grandfather, Father Lahdo. His parents, Quryo and Rihane, were educators.
After learning basic reading, writing, and mathematics from his family, Father Qasho attended government schools starting from the second grade. He briefly joined the Dayro d-Mor Hananyo in 1960 before returning to the village and working.
He later joined NATO as a secretary in 1967 and eventually became a political analyst. In 1973, he moved to Germany for two and a half years before visiting Sweden on vacation. He brought his entire family to Sweden in 1976 and spent the rest of his life there.
In 1990, the Archbishop Mor Julius Abdel-Ahad Gello Shabo and the parish asked him to become a priest, which he accepted due to the parish’s need. He also participated in establishing the Association of Syriac Language Teachers and headed its Turkish language department, in addition to his priestly service.
The administration of the Suroyo Media Foundation extends its deepest condolences to his family and parishioners in Södertälje and asks God to have mercy on him.