Saints & Feasts
The saints commemorated in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Commemorated Today · የዛሬ መታሰቢያ
Nehase 13, 2018 E.C. · ነሐሴ 13 ቀን 2018 ዓ.ም
Buhe (Transfiguration)
St Mary, the Theotokos
Commemorated on the 21st of every month
The Mother of God, honoured above all saints in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. This parish is dedicated to her Covenant of Mercy — Kidane Mihret — the promise given that those who call upon her name in faith will find intercession.
Luke 1:26–38
St Michael the Archangel
Commemorated on the 12th of every month
Chief of the heavenly hosts and defender of the faithful. In Ethiopian tradition he is invoked as protector in times of danger and is among the most widely venerated of the archangels.
Revelation 12:7–9
St Gabriel the Archangel
Commemorated on the 19th of every month
The messenger who announced the Incarnation to the Virgin Mary. He is remembered also for delivering the three youths from the furnace of Babylon.
Luke 1:26–38
St George the Martyr
Commemorated on the 23rd of every month
A soldier of Cappadocia martyred under Diocletian for refusing to renounce Christ. He is among the most beloved saints in Ethiopia, and churches throughout the country bear his name.
2 Timothy 4:7–8
Abune Tekle Haymanot
Commemorated on the 24th of every month
The great Ethiopian monastic father, founder of Debre Libanos. Tradition holds that he prayed standing for years until one leg gave way, and he is depicted with wings and a single leg.
Matthew 19:27–30
Abune Gebre Menfes Kidus
Tikimt 5 · ጥቅምት 5
An ascetic who lived in the wilderness among wild beasts, remembered for extraordinary austerity and for his compassion toward animals.
Mark 1:12–13
Abba Selama (St Frumentius)
Hamle 26 · ሐምሌ 26
The first bishop of Ethiopia, consecrated by Athanasius of Alexandria in the fourth century. Called the Revealer of Light for bringing the Gospel to the Aksumite kingdom.
Romans 10:14–15
St Yared
Ginbot 11 · ግንቦት 11
The sixth-century deacon who composed the chant of the Ethiopian Church and devised its musical notation. The hymnody sung in our services descends from him.
Psalm 150
Major Feasts of the Year
- Meskerem 1Enkutatash (New Year)
- Meskerem 17Meskel (Finding of the True Cross)
- Tahsas 29Genna (Nativity)
- Tir 11Timkat (Epiphany)
- Ginbot 1Nativity of St Mary
- Nehase 13Buhe (Transfiguration)
- Yekatit 16Kidane Mihret (Covenant of Mercy)
The Monthly Cycle
Every day of every Ethiopian month carries its own commemoration. This is the complete thirty-day cycle as the Church keeps it, drawn from the Senkessar — the book of the saints, read through the year so that each day is kept in its place.
The Theotokos
Our Lady, honoured above every creature as the true Mother of God. Five days of every month are hers.
- Day 1
Lideta Maryam — the Nativity of Our Lady, and the Prophet Elijah
The birth of the Blessed Virgin, kept on the first of every month, together with the Prophet Elijah, who was taken up in a chariot of fire.
- Day 3
Be’eta — the Presentation of Our Lady in the Temple
Our Lady presented in the Temple as a child by her parents Joachim and Anna, and given to the service of God.
- Day 6
Our Lady of Qusquam
The rest of the Holy Family at Qusquam in Egypt during the flight from Herod.
- Day 16
Kidane Mihret — the Covenant of Mercy
The Covenant of Mercy granted to Our Lady, that those who call upon her name in faith will find intercession. This parish is dedicated to this feast.
- Day 20
Hnstata
The dedication of a church of Our Lady.
- Day 21
The Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God
The principal monthly commemoration of Our Lady, honoured above every creature as the true Mother of God.
The Archangels
The bodiless powers whom God sends to help and guard the faithful. The Church keeps a book of Homilies of the Angels setting out their offices.
- Day 12
St Michael the Archangel; St Samuel; St Yared
Chief of the bodiless powers and defender of the faithful, with his great feasts on Hedar 12 and Sene 12. Kept with St Yared, the sixth-century deacon of Aksum who composed the chant of the Ethiopian Church and devised its notation.
- Day 13
God the Father; St Raphael the Archangel
The Archangel Raphael, healer and guide.
- Day 19
St Gabriel the Archangel
The messenger who bore the announcement of the Incarnation to Our Lady, and who delivered the three youths from the furnace.
- Day 22
St Deqsius; St Uriel the Archangel
The Archangel Uriel, kept on the twenty-second of every month.
The Apostles and Evangelists
Those sent out to preach the Gospel to the nations.
- Day 2
St Thaddeus the Apostle
One of the Twelve, sent out to preach the Gospel.
- Day 4
St John, Son of Thunder
The Evangelist and Apostle whom the Lord called a son of thunder, and who stood by the Cross.
- Day 5
Sts Peter and Paul; Abune Gebre Menfes Kidus
The chief Apostles, together with the Ethiopian ascetic who lived in the wilderness among wild beasts and is remembered for his austerity and his tenderness towards animals.
- Day 9
St Thomas
- Day 26
St Thomas the Apostle
The Apostle who confessed the risen Lord as his God.
- Day 30
St Mark the Evangelist
The Evangelist and first bishop of Alexandria, from whose see Ethiopia received its bishops for sixteen centuries until autocephaly in 1959.
The Martyrs
Those who bore witness to Christ with their blood.
- Day 8
St Kiros and Abba Banuda
Commemorated together on the eighth of every month.
- Day 11
Sts Joachim and Anna; St Fasilides
The parents of Our Lady, and the martyr Fasilides.
- Day 15
St Kirkos and St Iyeluta
The child martyr Kirkos and his mother Iyeluta, put to death together.
- Day 17
St Stephen the Protomartyr; Abba Gerima
The first martyr of the Church, stoned at Jerusalem, kept with Abba Gerima, one of the Nine Saints.
- Day 23
St George the Martyr
A soldier of Cappadocia martyred under Diocletian for refusing to deny Christ. Among the most beloved saints in Ethiopia, with churches throughout the country bearing his name.
- Day 25
St Merkorios
The soldier martyr.
The Monastic Fathers
The fathers who founded the monastic life of Ethiopia and carried the faith into the country.
- Day 14
Abune Aregawi; St Gebre Kristos
Abune Aregawi, one of the Nine Saints, founder of the monastery of Debre Damo.
- Day 18
Abune Ewostatewos
The monastic father whose followers kept the observance of the Sabbath alongside the Lord’s Day.
- Day 24
Abune Tekle Haymanot
The great Ethiopian monastic father and founder of Debre Libanos. Tradition holds that he prayed standing for years until one leg gave way, and he is depicted with wings and a single leg.
Feasts of Our Lord
Days of the Lord and of the Trinity rather than commemorations of a saint.
- Day 7
The Holy Trinity
A feast of the Trinity, kept on the seventh of every month.
- Day 10
Kidus Meskel — the Holy Cross
The Cross on which our salvation was accomplished, honoured on the tenth of every month.
- Day 27
Medhane Alem — the Saviour of the World
The saving death of Our Lord, commemorated on the twenty-seventh of every month.
- Day 28
Immanuel
God with us.
- Day 29
Ba’ale Wold — the Nativity; St Arsema
The birth of Christ, kept monthly, together with the virgin martyr Arsema.
The full account of each saint belongs to the Senkessar, which is read aloud in church. What is given here is the day and a short note only.