Habtamu Abrdew Beture The Ethiopian Ministry of Women and Social Affairs has formally recognized the Catholic Church as a cornerstone of the nation’s social stability, praising its decades of service in uplifting the most vulnerable members of society on February 19, 2026. In a strategic review of national social protection efforts, the Ministry highlighted the Church’s specialized programs in women’s vocational empowerment, the rehabilitation of the elderly, homeless, and th

Habtamu Abrdew Beture In a significant step toward communal renewal, the Pastoral Department of the Vicariate of Harar organized a two-day capacity-building workshop centered on the theme ”For a Synodal Church." from February 12 to 13, 2026, at St. Augustine Parish in Dire Dawa. The training brought together priests and religious sisters serving across the Vicariate to deepen their understanding of synodality. The program commenced with the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist a

Habtamu Abrdew Beture The annual feast of Our Lady of Lourdes was celebrated with profound devotion at the Dubbo within the Catholic Vicariate of Sodo from February 14–15, 2026. A historic highlight of this year’s celebration was the official blessing and inauguration of the new Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.T his Grotto is designed to serve as a spiritual sanctuary for pilgrims, offering a dedicated space for quiet contemplation and divine encounter. The celebration drew tog

Habtamu Abrdew Beture With the intent to renew the spirit of evangelization, the department of Pastoral and Liturgy, of the Catholic Eparchy of Emdibir recently conducted a specialized training session for Distance Education and Catechism Program Coordinators on February 16, 2026. The gathering served as a spiritual workshop designed to equip those on the front lines of faith formation with the tools to ignite a New Evangelization within their communities. The program opened

By Habtamu Abrdew Beture ADDIS ABABA – As the Catholic Church enters the liturgical season of Lent 2026, His Eminence Cardinal Berhaneyesus D. Souraphiel, Metropolitan Archbishop of Addis Ababa, has released a Lenten message calling on the faithful to move beyond external observances and embrace a profound "interior transformation of the heart." The message, issued on February 16, 2026, centers on the biblical theme from Matthew 6:17-18, urging believers to fast and pray in s