Saint Abuna Aregawi | |
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![]() Abuna Aragawi painting at St. George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa | |
Born | c. 455 AD[1] Constantinople, Byzantine Empire[1] |
Died | 6th-century Kingdom of Aksum |
Venerated in | Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church |
Feast | 24–25 October (Ṭəqəmt 14 in Ethiopian calendar) |
Abuna Aregawi (also called Za-Mika'el Aragawi) was a sixth-century Syrian monk[2][3] and canonized by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, as well as by the Ethiopian Catholic Church, as well as the Eritrean Orthodox Church. He is one of the Nine Saints, who came from the Roman Empire to Ethiopia, and are credited for founding many monasteries and churches and was the main force behind installing monasticism in Ethiopia.[4]
Tradition holds that Abuna Aregawi founded the monastery of Debre Damo in Tigray Region of Ethiopia, which is said to have been commissioned by Emperor Gebre Mesqel of Axum.