Childhood | Patron Saint
Abune Merqoriewos was born from holy parents, priest Thomas Simon and Selomie in the year of 1274 on Nehasse 29 in the Ge’ez Calendar. His parents used to respect and love Saint Merqoriewos the (Egyptian) martyr, so they used to commemorate his feast monthly. Since Abune Merqoriewos was born in the annual feast of St Merqoriewos the martyr, they named their child Merqoriwos and with his baptism name being Esiete Mariam. Their siblings were Abune Absadi, Abune Matthiwos and Mekbibe Dingl. Until they reached the age of education, they lived with their siblings in love and harmony.
Early Spiritual Education
After they joined a spiritual school, under their uncle Abune Paulos they learned 81 books of the old and new testament within 22 days. Then they went to the monastery of Abune Daniel where they served the old monks with humility and obedience. In this monastery they received deaconship from the Egyptian bishop Abune Petros and the rank of monk from Abune Ewostatiewos.
Guidance of Abune Ewostatiewos
After staying as a hermit for a long time, they went around villages and cities teaching the gospel of the Lord and doing miracles for 67 years. Abune Ewostatiwos then told them to go to Eritrea together, the two fathers went together preaching the word of God to all the people they found in their way until they reached a place called “May Mi’ne”. However, people in this area were not following God’s commandments, evil things had shadowed the whole city. When the two fathers were sleeping, they burnt the house but miraculously those two fathers came out from the fire untouched. The fathers then went to the place now called Debre Denagil, specifically the nuns' place in this monastery and they stayed there as a hermit, Abune Ewostatiewos stayed for seven years and Abune Merqoriewos for four years.
Travel to Armenia
After finishing the seven years in prayers, God told Abune Ewostatiwos to go to the country called Armenia and to Abune Merqoriewos with the leadership of a bird they reached Gedam Debre Dimah. They said, “This will be my everlasting place of rest.” Shortly after saying this, our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ blessed this land, and Abune Merqoriewos went to Armenia to see Abune Ewostatiwos preaching the gospel as they crossed Sudan and Egypt. After visiting and taking blessings of the land of Jerusalem, they settled back in their monastery and stayed as a hermit in a place called “wituh”.
The Miraculous Cross
After finishing the seven years in prayers, God told Abune Ewostatiwos to go to the country called Armenia and to Abune Merqoriewos with the leadership of a bird they reached Gedam Debre Dimah. They said, “This will be my everlasting place of rest.” Shortly after saying this, our Lord Saviour Jesus Christ blessed this land, and Abune Merqoriewos went to Armenia to see Abune Ewostatiwos preaching the gospel as they crossed Sudan and Egypt. After visiting and taking blessings of the land of Jerusalem, they settled back in their monastery and stayed as a hermit in a place called “wituh”.
Departure of His Teachers
Now God told Abune Merqoriewos that the future monastery Debre Dimah will be their graveyard. So then in the year of 1340 G.C (1348 A.D), alongside 600 monks and 300 nuns, they constructed the monastery with the tradition and rights of monasticism. When Abune Merqoriewos heard the departure of Abune Ewostatiewos in a dream, with the clouds as their means of transportation, they went to Armenia, since they were told they did not have enough money for the ship fare. After they came back, their younger brother Abune Absadi also departed. They were saddened by the departure of both fathers.
Abune Ewostatiewos' Departure
Abune Ewostatiwos is known to be the father of all monks in Eritrea. Meaning they started the monastic life by forming monasteries in the country. During their departure to Armenia, they gave their handheld cross to Abune Absadi to be their shepherd. Soon after Abune Absadi’s departure, this seat and rank was given to Abune Merqoriewos. Until this day, all the monks that become the fathers of all monks in this monastery sit on this chair. This chair can now be found in the monastery of Debre Dimah.
Abune Merqoriewos' Departure
When the day of departure of Abune Merqoriewos came close, they nominated Abba Gebre Hier to be the new leader. Now God made a covenant with Abune Merqoriewos saying, “anyone that commemorates your feast, calls upon your name, reads and translates your story, visits your monastery or gives offerings, I will have mercy on them.” On the 16th month of Tahsas (Ge’ez Calendar) at the age of 130 years they departed this world.
Debre Dimah's Future
After his departure, the monks became rebellious and disobedient to their newly elected leader. And God severely punished them with a deadly disease. The newly elected leader took the remaining monks and formed their own monastery. The monastery that once had 900 monks became empty and no one was left. However, the children of Abune Merqoriewos come yearly and hold liturgy to commemorate the departure of their father. After the monastery was served in this way, Aba Tekle Eyesus leading other monks came to this monastery and restarted the monastic life. Since then this monastery has been giving spiritual service on a daily basis. Apart from being a monastery, this place is also a well known spiritual school. Higher studies of the church such as ziema, Bible translation and Qinie are taught here.
Holy Soil
This monastery is also known by its unique white holy soil (tsebel). One time when Abune Philipos, Abune Merqoriewos and Abune Absadi were praying and making a special request to God. The three monks made their requests to God regarding their monastery. And Abune Merqoriewos said, “I want the monastery I rest upon to be white and my children’s heart to be white.” Now God heard each of their prayers and gave them what they requested. This is the reason why the soil in that monastery is white.
