An Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Washington preserves ancient traditions amid modern challenges

WASHINGTON – In the U.S. capital, hundreds of Ethiopians dressed successful accepted achromatic shawls chant successful the past liturgical language of 1 of the oldest branches of Christianity.

During hourslong worship services, the Ge’ez connection reverberates passim DSK Mariam Church. Congregants prostrate themselves successful reverence to God and bow erstwhile a clergyman walks among them swinging a censer burning incense.

Formally known arsenic Re’ese Adbarat Debre Selam Kidist Mariam Church, it was founded successful Washington successful 1987. It present has much than 1,500 registered members, and religion leaders accidental much than 4,000 radical be services each week.

DSK Mariam is portion of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Churches — 1 of the oldest Christian faiths successful Africa. There’s keen involvement successful preserving Ge’ez, and different traditions of the faith, for aboriginal generations successful the bustling District of Columbia portion — location to the largest Ethiopian diaspora assemblage successful the United States.

“Our contented is afloat of values that are applicable for today, for the modern age. So, these kids, if they larn the tradition, the language, and besides the religion — they tin balance,” Abraham Habte-Sellassie, a “kesis” oregon priest, said up of a caller Lent work that started astatine midnight and ended astatine midday.

“Life present is precise hectic, and it’s geared toward worldly profit.”

Ethiopian diaspora successful the US has grown implicit 50 years

Many Ethiopian families person travel to the U.S. implicit the past 50 years, having near their location state aft the 1974 overthrow of the precocious Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, who is worshipped by astir members of the Rastafari faith.

Estimates scope wide connected the fig of Ethiopians successful the U.S, from much than 250,000 to unofficial estimates by diaspora leaders that it’s person to 1 million. By acold the largest Ethiopian assemblage is successful the D.C. metro country — notably the Maryland and Virginia counties adjacent to Washington.

They lend importantly to the area's economical well-being and taste vitality, said Tsehaye Teferra, laminitis and president of a D.C.-based exile resettlement agency, Ethiopian Community Development Council.

To scope young radical and caller converts, DSK Mariam besides offers services successful Amharic and English. Congregants tin travel the prayers connected ample plasma TVs that bent from religion columns decorated with the green, yellowish and reddish colors of the Ethiopian flag.

“It truly feels similar home,” said Kannazegelila Mezgebu, a 21-year-old calved successful Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

“The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has truthful galore beauteous rituals and services. … Every time has its ain meaning and a precise heavy one,” said Mezgebu, a elder astatine Morgan State University successful Baltimore.

Sometimes, she said, it tin beryllium a conflict to support up with traditions amid truthful galore distractions successful the city. But it’s worthy it, she said, for the religion to promote different young Ethiopian Americans to find a fulfilling spiritual way and reconnect with their roots.

“Everything is truthful beauteous and truthful absorbing to learn,” she said. “That’s what makes maine truly emotion this church.”

Symbolism is woven passim their religion practice

“There’s truthful galore deep, rooted meanings down each tradition,” said Beza Bililigne, a younker ministry leader.

He pointed retired examples: Congregants instrumentality disconnected their shoes earlier they participate the religion arsenic a motion of respect.

The “netela,” the achromatic scarf-like fabric cloth worn by worshippers, signifies modesty and purity and symbolizes the cloth they judge Jesus was wrapped successful astatine commencement and crucifixion, Bililigne said. The incense from the censer, helium said, represents the Virgin Mary, and the ember that burns it, the divinity of Jesus.

Worship is intergenerational and incorporates the senses. During the caller service, children’s laughter mixed with the priests’ chants arsenic deacons held an umbrella, a symbolic covering of their beatified liturgy.

When bells tolled for Communion, congregants lined up to person it, waiting their crook for a clergyman to interruption breadstuff and spot a portion into their mouths.

Some worshippers lit candles and asked for heavenly intercession to safeguard relatives backmost home. Ethiopia faces recurring struggle successful respective of its regions; millions of radical are successful request of nutrient assistance and wellness care.

“People who are present successful our congregation, immoderate person immoderate relatives imprisoned oregon killed backmost home,” said Habte-Sellassie. “They travel present and determination retired their psyche earlier the Lord truthful that God tin bring bid to the country.”

At the extremity of the service, religion members recorded a video of an elder chanting a liturgy passed connected from his ancestors. The footage is posted connected the church’s YouTube transmission to sphere it for aboriginal generations successful hopes they support the tradition.

“A batch of our traditions, a batch of our prayers are asked for america to cognize by memory,” Bililigne said. “As agelong arsenic the idiosyncratic is alive, the traditions volition enactment alive.”

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