The Patriarch: Spreading the Word of God is vital task
July 5, 2016
By Kassa Nigus
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church Holy Trinity Theological College graduates disciples in different departments and programs. The ceremony was attended by His Holiness Patriarch Abune Mathias as well as bishops, heads of departments of the patriarchate and Addis Ababa diocese, parish and monastery administrators, members of the management of the college and families of the graduates. The ceremony took place at the hall of the Church on July 3, 2016.
Academic deputy dean of the college, deacon memhir Girma Batu, said that Holy Trinity College ever since its establishment in 1942/43 has been producing preachers. For the time ahead it has been preparing to start training in third degree and Ph.D. At the moment the college is training 1800 disciples and in this year it has made available 320 prospective disciples in various programs, including in Ge’ez language.
Following the prayer at the opening of the graduation ceremony Holy Trinity Sunday school singers sang St. Yared hymns while the graduates had presentations of kine (Ge’ez poem) putting various messages across. That was followed by handing out of prizes and certificates to graduates of distinction as well as to women graduates in various programs with ranks from 1st to 5th. His Holiness the Patriarch Abune Mathias, and head of the College, His Holiness AbuneTimotewos, handed out the certificates and the prizes.
The Patriarch, in giving his blessing, quoting, “The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” (Math. 9: 37 – 38)
Tlthough we have not counseled and taught children of the Church to bring in tithe and their first – born, the laity have never held back from the Church to give what they can. Because of that there is no problem of money in our Church particularly in the big cities. However, since the way we manage our finances is not well organized and there is a lot of corruption, the financial resources have not been put to use appropriately. Hence, you need to teach the people in order to eradicate corruption, good governance to prevail, honesty to reign, preserve the sanctity of the Church, the Patriarch underlined the message to graduates.
The Patriarch eulogized the graduates saying, all our children graduating in the three campuses are the light of our Church! His Holiness stressed that spreading the Word of God is a vital consideration in the Church and went on to say, you should serve as the light of the world and overcome the darkness in it, bring back those lost to other religions by showing them the right path, grow in your beliefs so that others follow in your footsteps, bring back the laity looted by others and put a stop to their attempt of taking the laity away, and also support the young in taking care of their lives and health, in staying away from addiction, drugs and alcohol, and other social ills. The Church entrusts this task to you and to live up to your Christian duties.
The graduates on their part promised to do everything in their capacity to protect the work of savior of the world Jesus Christ, the teachings of the 12 disciples as well as the three canonical decision of the Church, teach that holy angels and fathers intercede on behalf of the world, that they live by and enforce the canons, beliefs, traditions and dogmas of the Church, and serve the Church loyalty wherever they may be.
Finally, the ceremony was concluded with the blessings of the Patriarch.
In a related development, Kesate Berhan Freminatos spiritual college of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church graduated disciples in different departments and programs on June 26, 2016.