GERALDINE DOOGUE: Hello there. I'm Geraldine Doogue. Welcome to Compass. Assyrian Christians are among a number of religious minorities caught up in the present war zone in the Middle East. Many have had to leave their homes to become refugees in neighbouring countries. Some are making their way here through family connections and the special intake of religious minorities announced by the government. But the Assyrians as a group have been settling here in Australia since the late 1950s, and are hard-working contributors to communities in Sydney and Melbourne, where their church is at the heart of their identity. So, tonight, we go inside the Assyrian Church of the East in Australia, where we meet one of its youngest priests, Reverend Father Narsai, trying very hard to enable both Australian and traditional sensibilities within his congregation.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Narsai Youkhanis is no ordinary priest. Since emigrating with his family from Iraq in 1995, he's qualified as an architect, become an accomplished musician and is currently studying for a PhD in Syriac Christianity. At 26, this high achiever's most-important task is helping the youth of the church know and keep their ancient faith while living in modern Australia.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: (Speaks in Assyrian) Alright, guys. Go for it.

WOMAN: Father Narsai is fantastic, he's very passionate, he is very committed and connected to the youth of Melbourne and Sydney.

JASMINE PERO: Not do we only see him as our, so to speak, our father, but also as a brother and a role model for us as well.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: But this is also a story about a people, culture and religion marked by persecution and displacement from ancient times to the present day.

LENA KAKO: Our language is being attacked, our culture's being attacked, our history's being attacked, our identity, our people.

REPORTER: The Islamic state has spread terror, unleashing executions and rape in areas they've captured.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Because we've been so persecuted, so put down, and not having a solid government that can speak on our behalf, the church becomes that mother hen that gathers her children around and protects them.

(Band plays traditional Assyrian music)

GERALDINE DOOGUE: It's late March in the Sydney suburb of Fairfield, and displays of traditional dancing usher in the Assyrian New Year. Thousands have gathered for the day-long festival which marks spring time in the Middle East and what has become a national day for Assyrians all over the world.

HERMIZ SHAHEN: The celebration of the Assyrian New Year, it brings hope to our hearts and is consistent a reflection of our determination for survival as a people and as a nation.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: The first Assyrians to come to Australia were fleeing the aftermath of the Iraqi revolution of 1958. Phillip Darmo was one of the first to make his way here, arriving in 1964 when he was 25.

PHILLIP DARMO: And at that time, there were about less than half a dozen families and about a dozen or so single people like myself.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Initially, they lived around Bondi and Randwick, but by the mid-1960s the community was growing. Like many others, Phillip got married and decided that Fairfield in Sydney's western suburbs was the perfect place to settle down.

PHILLIP DARMO: We saw open spaces, we saw trees, we saw cheap houses, cheap land, and what's also very important, we saw there were plenty of employment opportunities. Fairfield had everything. Assyrians are a very close-knit community. Nearly everyone knows everyone else. So, we established the Assyrian Australian Association, which helped the Assyrian community to establish in Fairfield. We used to have church services in St Andrew's Presbyterian Church. It still stands in Nelson Street, Fairfield.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Today there are around 40,000 Assyrians in Australia, three-quarters in New South Wales, with most still living in the Fairfield area.

PHILLIP DARMO: Assyrians were happy to be settling in a democratic country and, more importantly, in a Christian country.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Assyrians trace their origins back six and a half thousand years to the Middle East around the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. But the Assyrian empire and its capital Nineveh were destroyed by invaders in the 7th century BC.

NATALIE MOSHI: Because we, as a nation, we cannot point to a map and see Assyria clearly defined there, the church has as a result almost by default become our country. It's become our guiding father, our guiding mother, a place where we can go to see our fellow people, to see our community.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Glory be to Christ our Lord.

CONGREGATION: Glory be to Christ our Lord.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Assyrians were one of the first peoples to embrace Christianity, and today the Assyrian Church of the East still maintains the traditions, culture and language from the early church.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: (Chants)

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Narsai Youkhanis grew up steeped in the culture and religion of the church.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Somehow I understood that church would be a big part of my life. I found security in the church. I found comfort and calm. I found peace. The holy gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the preaching of Luke.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Narsai was just 21 when he was ordained in 2010, making him the youngest priest in the Assyrian Church of the East. At the ceremony, attended by over 2,000 people, he committed to a lifetime of celibacy and service.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: I just thought to myself, 'If I'm ready or if I'm not ready, I'm not sure.' I was a bit confused at first with the decision that I made. Not... I had no doubt in the role, I had no doubt in anything. I had I think doubt in myself, you know, if I was ready to take something so vast on.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: His approach to ministry has made Father Narsai much more than a religious figure to the young people in his congregation. He connects and shares in their lives, through social gatherings, youth conferences and overseas trips.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: They're a wonderful group of people. They're still growing. Some of them might be a bit young, finding themselves in the community, but they generally are a very good group.

WOMAN: It was so fun.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: People just need a friend. I think that's as simple as it can be. A lot of people who get misjudged and misunderstood, really, I think the main reason is because no-one was there to listen to them, to give them advice so that they can make the right decision.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: When we hear these sweet words of the Lord, they bring meaning into our life, they ground us.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: But at the heart of the youth association is Bible study, which is held every Sunday night.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: How can we be like the Good Samaritan? How can we help those who are in need?

GERALDINE DOOGUE: 22-year-old Lena Kako joined the youth association four years ago at the invitation of Father Narsai.

LENA KAKO: So, no matter how hard my week's been, no matter how stressed I've been with uni, with work, at home, whatever's going on, whenever I come to Bible studies that Sunday night, whatever Father Narsai's telling me, whatever one of the deacons are telling me, I don't know what happens, but it always seems to make it a lot better. And then we have fellowship straight after the Bible studies, and you completely forget about whatever issues are going on, and you just communicate and socialise with all your friends, like, everyone's there.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: But the plight of fellow Assyrians overseas is never far away. At the Assyrian Resource Centre in the heart of Fairfield, Carmen Lazar helps the relatives of people displaced as a result of the war in Syria.

CARMEN LAZAR: Since 2013 we've had thousands of people came through my office, seeking help to help them to migrate their families into Australia because of the persecution.

CARMEN LAZAR: Come in here...

CARMEN LAZAR: When the Assyrians come to my office, the first port of call is the church that I direct them to for them to seek assistance in. Our churches are our shelter. Our churches are our point of contact. Without our churches, we are not recognised in anywhere.

(Bell tolls, chanting)

GERALDINE DOOGUE: It's April, and Assyrians in Fairfield and the world over are in mourning for the death of their patriarch and head of the church, His Holiness Mar Dinkha.

(Chanting)

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Our patriarch was a very well-known figure within the community. He served the church for nearly about 39 years as patriarch of the church. You have people who still remember him, who remember his visits that he would make to Australia many times. He was a true saint of our time. So, the remembrance that we did have in the church was a very emotional time for us.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Every fortnight, Father Narsai travels to Melbourne to hold services, lead Bible studies and to catch up with the local youth association.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Melbourne has become a part of my growth in the priesthood.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Hi, guys.

WOMAN: Hello.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: How are you?

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: It's helped me to understand many things - from running committees, from meeting different people, understanding the community of the Assyrians in Melbourne.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: How are you?

WOMAN: Good. How are you?

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: How's the family?

WOMAN: Good, thank you.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: There are around 10,000 Assyrians in Melbourne with two churches in the city's northern suburbs. This one is St George's, located in a suburban backyard.

MAN: Welcome home.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Thank you. Second home.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: The group in Melbourne are a very hardworking group, very committed, has had many trials. Culture gets in the way, society's pressing issues come around.

WOMAN: We are gonna be doing the India appeal, so the Christmas fundraising appeal for the Assyrian families in India.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Of course, their Bible study comes first, because from there, Christian fellowship grows and starts.

JASMINE PERO: Definitely, with Father Narsai's help, our community has become closer, and he has definitely brought in a lot more youth than what we used to have. So, he's played a big impact on our community here and on our youth.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit from everlasting and to everlasting. Amen and amen. You are Lord of all, we can attest.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Father Narsai's visit to Melbourne coincides with Assyrian Martyrs Day, one of the most important dates in the church's calendar, when they remember the massacre of Assyrians in 1915.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: We know that thousands upon thousands and tens of thousands of people lost their lives at the hands of the Ottomans, the Turks. Every one of us is a survivor of this genocide. Each and every one of us, if you ask your parents, your grandparents, they will tell you stories of the fleeing that happened during this genocide.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: For Lena Kako, the tragic effect of recent hostilities in Syria has come very close to home.

LENA KAKO: A lot of relatives from my mum and dad have actually arrived recently since the war started, and my uncle and aunty being one of them.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Lena's uncle and aunt, Adel and Suaad, arrived in Australia with their two children just a few months ago.

LENA KAKO: So, my uncle and aunty just live around the corner from us, and every now and then I just see how they are, how they're going with their language, 'cause they're going to school, help them out if they need help, help the kids out with their homework, if they need help.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Their story is typical of many families who've had to flee Islamic extremists.

ADEL DANIAL: (Speaks in Assyrian) When the armed groups Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda entered, they came to our home and told us that we either convert to Islam and live with them as Muslims or, because we were Christian Assyrians and they cannot live together with Christians, we have to leave the country and leave everything we own to them. This is the way these terrorists think, that everything we Christians own should be left to them.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: You know, we have children who have witnessed beheadings. We have children who have witnessed the murder of their parents right before their eyes, and it makes your heart ache to feel that our people at such a young age are experiencing so much more than what they should be.

LENA KAKO: At the end of the day, we're a nation in mourning - I think we have been for a very long time now - so I think the church is an amazing thing here, because it keeps us all together, you know, it keeps us strong in our faith, that reminds us of who we are, and we don't forget ourselves.

(Chanting)

GERALDINE DOOGUE: The central feature of worship in the Assyrian Church is the Eucharist, or mass, which runs for over two hours and is traditionally sung in the ancient language of Aramaic.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: The Assyrian Church of the East is living in an era that you could say is a pre-Vatican II church. We have a very traditional liturgy. The priest when celebrating has his back towards the people... and he speaks on behalf of the church, facing east, and we believe that Christ, at his second coming, will come from the east, so it's a very blessed place.

NATALIE MOSHI: The masses of the Assyrian Church of the East are usually said in Aramaic, which is known as the ancient Assyrian language, and which is also known as the language that Jesus spoke. So, one of the innovations that Reverend Father Narsai has introduced to the church has been masses in modern-day Assyrian. So, what is modern-day Assyrian? The language that I speak now at home with my parents.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: But some people in his congregation were concerned about the change from Aramaic to modern Assyrian.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: The reaction to that from the community was the criticism of terminology. So, here and there you have alien words that have crept into the language. Some words are Arabic-based, some words are Kurdish-based, some words are Turkish-based, English-based, but my point again to the people is that we need to give them something that they can understand, and it's no-one's fault that language has changed.

(Singing in English)

GERALDINE DOOGUE: An even-bigger change is the celebration of the Eucharist in English.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: I believe it's very important that we give the youth spiritual nourishing, something that they can understand, so that they can grow.

JASMINE PERO: The English mass brought by Father Narsai has brought the community closer, especially the youth, knowing that so many younger generation don't actually speak our language and don't understand it.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Our language, our ancient language, is dying away. Families today speak English at home also, not realising that in many years' time the Assyrian language will disappear.

WOMAN: After registrations closed, we didn't order. So, we already placed the orders...

GERALDINE DOOGUE: In Sydney, the youth association's biggest fundraiser, the annual walkathon, has been raising money for a variety of causes for over 25 years. This year the focus is on Syria.

WOMAN: So, this year's walkathon aims to fundraise much-needed funds that we can send over and really help hundreds and hundreds of people that have been displaced because of the violence and persecution in the region, and provide for everyday needs such as water, medication, temporary shelter and just really help the people in any way that we can.

MAN: Your support here is much-appreciated by the church and by your brothers and sisters in Syria and Lebanon. God bless you. Thank you.

WOMAN: God bless you!

MAN: Thank you. OK... all the best.

MAN: We're trying to help out those people that are being killed for being Christian, so we're hoping that this will send awareness to all those people, to the world, that they need help and that they need a refuge and a place where they can be safe.

NATALIE MOSHI: The walkathon helps to bind a sense of closeness and togetherness for the community. It brings people together, but at the same time, we're not forgetting who we are and where we come from.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: The youth association also held walkathons in Melbourne and New Zealand, raising a total of over $10,000.

(Violin plays)

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Once a week, Father Narsai takes time out from his busy schedule to brush up on his violin-playing with his friend Ashur.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Do you wanna go from...

ASHUR: Wait, one sec. 1-2-3-4-5.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: We went to school together, we've been friends since... since Sunday school and everything, when we used to go to church together.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: I'm slowing down, am I?

ASHUR: You're sliding.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Oh, sliding.

ASHUR: So, do the bar... Yeah. Do the whole bar again. 1-2-3.

BOTH: 2-3-4.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: I find time to have those personal moments to clear my mind and to make myself feel balanced, spiritually and emotionally, through music, through the violin. Those moments help me to enjoy music and to relax my mind. It really does help when you have such a hectic lifestyle.

ASHUR: 1-2-3.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: It's October and the Assyrian Church of the East has turned out for a Silver Jubilee Ball to celebrate 25 years since they built St Hurmizd's Cathedral in Fairfield. But news of the execution of three Assyrian men in Syria has changed the nature of the festivities.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Because of this very sad time, the second part of the program, which was going to be a celebration with traditional Assyrian singing and dancing, that part has been cancelled in honour and respect of the martyrs.

LENA KAKO: There were three innocent people. One was 28, one was 37 and one was a doctor. You know, they had lives, they had families. Some of their families are still being held hostage.

NARSAI YOUKHANIS: Genocides really have made our church stronger, sufferings have made our church stronger, and that's something that is a part of our DNA, it becomes a part of who you are. And as we understand the church being in danger, we pay more attention in protecting the church because of that.

NATALIE MOSHI: We've got a strong heritage, a strong culture and just based on our historical achievements and current achievements and who we are as a people, there's much that there is on offer for others to gain from us as Assyrians.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Next time on Compass...

MAN: I struggle to understand why any human being can hurt another human being.

WOMAN: So, I approached White Ribbon and said, 'Here you go - 800km of running.' Let's use this to make a difference.

WOMAN: My head was just so crowded with just trying to survive each day.

MAN: My violence came from a lot of fear of being left, being alone, being insecure.

WOMAN: The impact on children is part of that big iceberg.

MAN: Every year, we all swear, 'Not silent, not violent.' If you don't swear to it, you don't play.

WOMAN: Getting people talking will lead to the solution.

GERALDINE DOOGUE: Iceberg - next time on Compass. See you then.

END.