Who We Are

I am Linda Hormez Gabriel the Founder of You Are Mercy.

I was born in Mosul, Iraq, from a lovely mother, Hanna and father, Hormez. I am one of eight children. I have been blessed with six brothers and one mesmerising sister. I am a joyful person. My family are my closest friends – I can’t imagine life without my nieces and nephews and their children. My greatest happiness comes when I am with them.

For me, excitement comes in helping others, especially on a spiritual level.

I am an adventurous person, particularly in my imagination. I love all things to do with nature and the ancient world. Blue is the colour of my life. Blue is pure, like the depth of my heart, my loyalty to my faith and my longing to heaven.

My life changed when I read in one whole night, the Gospel of St John. I call it the “Gospel of Love”. I was only eight years old, and I was immediately transformed. I never believed or felt that someone’s love could engulf me, as much as the love of Jesus did.  I was straight away filled with an immense joy that was beyond my understanding. Even now, all these years later, I can live that moment when I realised that He will become the only life I could ever hope for.

I lived with my mother and father who taught me how to live a moral, Christian life. My father, in particular, was very silent in his words but a wonderful example in his actions. He had a strong devotion to our Chaldean Catholic Church, the Chaldean language and the Chaldean liturgy. My father had an affectionate nature and his zeal for the house of God was beyond any priestly measure. Every word in his warm, beautiful voice brought a throb to my heart, transmitting his love to my soul.

My main interests are reading, music and researching. I joined the Church choir when I was in Year 3 and have ever since been involved in the life of the Church. My passion for studying theology rose inside me from a very young age. It was difficult for me to understand some of the intellectually sophisticated texts. However, I was certain that my study was drawing me closer and closer to Jesus.

I studied theology for four years and am still studying online, and I did many non-award courses. These were run by the Diocese of Mosul, and my own parish church: “The Virgin Mary”. I will forever be grateful for Mary’s presence in my life as a mother and teacher.

While I was still studying, I was entrusted with many tasks by my parish priest, Father Youhana Issa. Father Issa was a friend more than a priest to us. He was a shepherd who would do anything to protect his flock – regardless of danger.

During our training, we undertook intense study of the Chaldean language and liturgy. As coordinator, I was in charge of teaching the liturgy to the only choir in the whole region to perform all church services in the Chaldean language. I also established the Secondary Choir to strengthen and back up the adult choir, to preserve as much as possible what we had inherited and had been passed on to us by the Eastern Fathers, saints and our Holy Martyrs.

In 1995, we were ordained as deacons and deaconesses.

When I left my homeland in 1998, I took with me my passion and love for teaching. In 2003–2004, I completed two non-award courses in Literature of the Bible. In 2012, I attained a Graduate Diploma in Education at the Australian Catholic University. Over a period of eight years, I worked in several Catholic high schools in the subjects of English and Religious Education.

I have been involved in the life of St Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church since my arrival to Australia in 2000 . Teaching the youngsters, leading youth groups and giving talks to young adults has been my greatest joy. In 2002, we established a youth choir which I led for 14 years. I educated our young on church hymns, liturgy and bible studies leading them on how to be an apostle and a witness to Jesus’ love and mercy in such a challenging and materialistic world.

My passion has driven me to participate in many national events in Australia. These include: being a choir member of the 2008 World Youth Day in Sydney, leading Holy Rosaries in public places and marching the streets to spread the message of Fatima and the Divine Mercy to people of Australia as well as catechising in many different schools.

I will preach, pray and sing, to help to know God and to serve him better.

Values I Offer