Ethiopian monk, convert to Catholicism, beatified martyr

1. Blessed Ghebremichael:
Ethiopian Orthodox monk • convert to
Catholicism • Catholic priest • beatified martyr
from Saints of the Vincentian Family by John E. Rybolt, C.M.

2. • After Justin de Jacobis, C.M.
arrived in Ethiopia he began to
adapt himself to local life.
Gradually he made inroads, while
trying to avoid openly
antagonizing the Orthodox
monks.
• Father Justin knew the language
well, and invited people’s
confidence, so much so that he
was invited by the local ruler to
head a delegation of Orthodox
clergy to go to Cairo in search of a
new Metropolitan for Ethiopia (the
Metropolitan is the supreme head
of the Ethiopian Church). One
member of the delegation was a
debtera (a clergyman similar to a
deacon, though not ordained)
Ghebremichael (1788[?]-1855).
Saint Justin de Jacobis, with Blessed Ghebremichael
depicted on the left holding a book

3. • Ghebremichael’s birthdate is
unknown, as are the precise
identities of his parents. It seems,
however, that his father was of a
mixed ancestry, probably
Ethiopian and Portuguese.
• Ghebremichael was a monk and
a seeker after truth. As a debtera,
he had been especially trained in
monastic life and liturgy.

4. • With the delegation to Cairo
Justin hoped, of course, to
influence their thinking about
union with Rome, something
which had briefly succeeded
under the Jesuits.
• At one point, Justin and
Ghebremichael left for Rome with
part of the delegation.
• While there, they were able to
have an audience with the pope
(17 August 1841), partake of Italian
hospitality and see something of
Roman Catholicism.

5. • Back in Ethiopia, Justin worked with
converts, especially among native
clergy. He decided early on to identify
himself in what could be called
“ecumenical” terms: “I am a Roman
Christian who loves the Christians of
Ethiopia.” His love and friendship for
them shone forth in what he did. Also,
he emphasized a good formation for
them.
• This formation interested
Ghebremichael, and the two of them
visited monasteries and their
collections of manuscripts to search
for the truth. Ghebremichael was
received into the Roman Catholic
Church in February 1844. After this, he
principally worked for the formation of
the clergy; other convert monks
worked with children; while Justin
took general responsibility for the
mission.

6. • Eventually Justin was ordained a
Bishop. There were tensions
between the local authorities and
the Europeans. One of Justin’s
convert priests and a confidant
turned against him and betrayed
Justin to the authorities.
• Ghebremichael was also
imprisoned, and after his release,
Justin ordained him a Catholic
priest, 1 January 1851.
• In this period, also, Justin moved
to Hebo, which became and
remains a center of Ethiopian,
now Eritrean, Catholicity.

7. • A new king, Theodore, attempted
to enforce previous prohibitions
against missionaries, and Bishop
Justin (or Abuna Yaqob Mariam
as he was now called locally) was
put under house arrest (1854)
and then was imprisoned. He
was required to make a public
profession of faith, which he
refused, but he was released by
his Moslem guards when they
learned that they were expected
to kill him.
• Meanwhile Ghebremichael and
others were kept in prison,
tortured and scourged.

8. • To increase the monk’s
sufferings, Theodore forced him,
even though he was an old man,
to travel with the king’s retinue
from camp to camp.
• Ghebremichael contracted
cholera, and gradually weakened.
He had hoped to enter the
Congregation, but was unable to
begin his novitiate because of his
imprisonment.
• He died, therefore, as a
Vincentian postulant and a
martyr, on 28 August 1855. He
was beatified as a martyr in 1926.

9. Source
Saints of the Vincentian Family by John E. Rybolt, C.M.