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A prominent Ethiopian religious leader passed away

Posted on by Elias Kifle

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Abba Melake Selam Sisay Ayele Abba (Father) Melake-Selam Sisay Ayele Yimer, the devoted Servant of the Almighty God; the true son of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo faith; the gallant Ethiopian nationalist; treasurer of the legal Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Holy Synod in exile and the founder and administrator of the Great Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s Debre Medhanit Medhane-Alem Cathedral of Columbus, Ohio passed away after five months of ailment and hospital care at the age of 80 in the city of Columbus, Ohio, USA on Friday, June 29, 2007.

Religious Services and Funeral Arrangement Schedule:

 Beginning Friday, June 29 His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church along with other Arch-bishops, Bishops, Fathers, and Dignitaries have started arriving in Columbus, Ohio, USA for the funeral services.

 Beginning Monday, July 2, prayers will be conducted from 6:00 Am to 7:00 AM in the morning and from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM in the evening at Debre Medhanit Medhane Alem Cathedral.

 On Wednesday, July 4, starting 10:00 AM Holy Mass and Tselote-Fithat (wake) will be conducted at Debre Medhanit Medhane Alem Cathedral, under the leadership of His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

 On Saturday, July 7, starting 9:00 AM the last and final Tselote-Fithat (wake) will be conducted at Debre Medhanit Medhane Alem Cathedral, under the leadership of His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. After the Tselote-Fithat (wake), eulogy will be read and the burial ceremony will be performed at:

Cemetery Address: St. Joseph Cemetery 6440 South High St., Columbus, OH 43137. Phone (614) 491-2751.

Church Address:
Debre Medhanit Medhane Alem Cathedral
610 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43215

Church Telephone: (614) 280-0626
For more info : (614 ) 622-5922 or (614) 332-8002 or (614 ) 989-4777

11 thoughts on “A prominent Ethiopian religious leader passed away”

  1. Did you see how many times the following phrase appears in the above statement?
    “…under the leadership of His Holiness Abune Merkorios, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church…”
    I wonder…

  2. It is a great loss to all of us Ethiopian when we are struck by the death of our Holy Father who have served the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church wherever it is. Nowadays, we need their prayers leadership at all costs. We need their support to the religion and religious people of the Country. If it comes from the Almight what one can do. We have to accept it and continue our devotion. I would like to express my personal sorrow to all of us. Let The Lord Rest His Soul in Peace.

  3. What would he tell the almighty about the divisions among the Abbas? The “legals” and the “illigal” Abbas..do they pass through the same door? or the “Legals” would show their green cards, while the “illigals” jump over the fence to get to heaven? Hmmmm…

  4. Even though I am not a practicing orthodox follower for the time being I hope I will be a good orthodox follower in the near future nevertheless our father’s passing has made me to think seriously that a change must come to Ethiopia sooner than later. Because if Ethiopians are forbidden by the regime’s self appointed cadre church leadership and by the regime itself even to get a resting place after we passed in our own country as it happened to many TPLF opposing individuals such as his holiness we should be serious to bring change for our country, because even though it may not be seen that much important to some of us wherever we are burried after we expire, I am sure it will have a cignificant importance to the families of the dead individuals back home where our resting place is located. Because if the dead person is resting in Ethiopia his or her living families will have a chance of visiting their beloved ones burial place whenever they want. As a result the families of the dead back home will not cary their anguish to their death. I remember when I was in Ethiopia I use to visit the burial places of different Ethiopian orthodox churches such as Estifanos church around the stadium and Yohanis church around Rass Desta hospital as well as Qidus Georgis and many more churches when I visit those churches my main interest use to be looking the monuments and reading the resting individuals biography. One day I remember this young lady she might have been around in her middle 20s me and my friends saw her on her knees praying and sobbing and even though me and my friends were care free highschool students we felt bad for this sad young women and we left her in silence before she notices our presence which was unusual for our behavior at that time to sympathize with someone for us. However at that time we felt bad as well as her presence at that quiet place among dead peoples’ graveyard by herself had some kind of magestic effect on us. Because of her situation we left her we wanted to give her space in order to finish whatever she was doing. To this day almost 14 years I remember that woman with vivid memory. Her situation to this day exists in me and it breaks my heart whenever I think about her, it comes rushing to me with fresh memory. By the way someone told us about this woman who she was according to this person who was an employee of the church he might have been a guard or gardener he told us the dead person was her fiance and he told us she visits his resting place every time.

  5. aya abba sisay enezih menati kehadiwoch leagerwo afer enquan endaibeku aderguwo. like endeersewo enesum eresachew enquan qidist ager ethiopia endigeba ayifelgum. “gud ametse”

  6. weygud, what was your point when you wrote the next sentence, you Dedebit freak. Are you jealous for his holiness being honored, you need to remember that respect can not be bought or bribed as your Dedebit prime minister or your crime minister Meles Zenawi did in the past or as your Aba dabilos self appointed pope is doing. What was your main point when you wrote the next Dedebit sentence you sad jealous joyless scum.
    “Did you see how many times the following phrase appears in the above statement?

  9. What a shame! We, Ethiopians never seem to learn…that we continue to work against each other on every little issue that we discuss.

    We seem to travel backwards and not forward. I am not a follower of the Orthodox Church but remember people that the Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate Judge.

    One day we will all stand before him and answer as his creation, what will we say? Let the Lord be the judge for all, let us not judge others for we will be judged when Christ returns.

    Let the father of the Orthodox Church rest as he has met his creator. His relationship with his God he only knows, bless his soul.

    As Ethiopians, Please let us learn to agree, disagree and make sense better after all we live in the most blessed country in the whole world. We need to do better!

    God bless Ethiopia and God bless the United States of America.

  10. Melese’n lemeqawem blachihu Amelakachin EYESUSE KRISTOSEN ena kominelet yemnililet yemnelileten ETHIOPAWINET yemeniqawem hone’nal.

    ANEDE mehonachinnin yemifeligu wegenochachinin ena ye seyitanin alama ey degefin mehonun eniwok.Be’poletika (BEGOSO) YAQATACHEWEN MELESE’N e’yeteqawemen’ e’yemeselen AGENDAW’N lematsfetsem defaqena endeminel enastewel.
    AWEQEN AWEQI’N yemnil sewoch bet’leye diaspora yalenew , YE’ETHIOPIA guda’y YE’HIZEB guda’y bewin’et yemiaschniqen ahun gena be’isat eyetechaweti’n new.
    yi GUDAY ke’abatochachin ke’ABUNE MERIKORIOS ENA ABUNE PAWOLOS belayi liasasiben yigebal !!!!
    EGZIABEHARE AYIBELEWINA nege bezih e’lih ena aleme’de’ma’met “YE’AMARA ORTODOX TEWAHIDO QIDUS SINODOS,YE’TIGRAY TEWAHIDO ORTODOX, YE’OROMIA ORTODOX TEWAHIDO, YE’BENISHANGUL……………etc. endayihon mi’nwastina alene.
    YE’MANE’WODE’WIN ALAMACHEW’IN E’NDA’NASIFESIM ENITENQEQI.
    EGZIABEHER KEHLACHIN GARA YIHUN !!

    MENEKOSSATI ABATOCHACIN’IM E’GNAM SELITAN LIASCHENIQEN AYIGEBAM !!!!!!!!!!!!!
    AMLAKACHIN E’YEYESUS KRISTOS BE’TIHITI’NA NEW , E’NDE BE’GI YETEGOTETEW ,YI’QER BELACHEW EYALE!
    MELEKUSIE ENIDE’MENEKOSE LEZIH ALEM MOTU’AL. MOTE AYA’S’CHENIQEWM !! ESU YEMIASCH’NIQEW KRISTOSI’N MEME’SEL ALE’MEMISELU NEW !!
    HU’LA’CHINI’M E’LIHA’CHI’NIN AQUMEN BE’TI’HITINA KIRISTOSIN E’NEMSEL.
    SELE SELAM E’NITSELE’Y!
    NEBSACHEWN YIMAREW !

  11. Dear Father(s):
    CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Father Selam Sisay Ayele! My prayers are surley with you and [your] family and friends!! I am a “convert” to Orthodox Christianity; I belong to an OCA Parish in Columbus, Ohio.

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