Emdeber, Ethiopia – 4 May 2025
In a moment that bridges continents and unites hearts, Bethany Gedam Ethiopia has released a set of saintly biographies in Amharic, the principal language of Ethiopia, for the spiritual formation of children and youth. Among the five holy lives now made available is the inspiring story of Venerable Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, the Servant of Unity and founder of the Bethany Congregations, now presented to African children in their own mother tongue.
The official release of these works was led by His Excellency Abune Lukas Fikre, Bishop of Emdeber, who expressed deep appreciation for this initiative, calling it “a valuable spiritual offering to the young Church in Ethiopia.” The books were authored and coordinated by Rev. Fr. Samuel Panachavila O.I.C., a missionary of the Bethany Ashram in Ethiopia, originally from Ambalathinkala in the Major Archieparchy of Mavelikara.
In addition to the life of Venerable Mar Ivanios, the collection includes the stories of St. John Mary Vianney, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Padre Pio, and Blessed Carlo Acutis—each chosen for their youthful relevance and enduring witness to holiness. The initiative reflects a profound desire to raise a generation of believers who are spiritually rooted, morally courageous, and joyfully faithful.
The project is not merely literary. It is pastoral. It emerges from five years of missionary presence by Fr. Samuel and his team in Ethiopia, where the Bethany Ashram has been engaged in parish ministry, education, healthcare, and social welfare. In a land where the Gospel has taken deep root through the heritage of Eastern Christianity, this latest offering is both a continuation and a renewal.
The Amharic language—belonging to the Semitic family, written in the ancient Ge’ez script—is a sacred vessel of Ethiopian culture and thought. By translating the life of Mar Ivanios into this language, the mission pays tribute to a vision long championed by the Venerable Servant of Unity himself: “The Gospel must be proclaimed in the language of the land and lived in the culture of the people.”
This initiative is not only a catechetical tool but an expression of ecclesial communion. The Bethany fathers who labour in Ethiopia see it as an act of fidelity to the founding vision of their Congregation. For more than seventeen years, Bethany missionaries have served in multiple dioceses across Ethiopia, witnessing through parish care, education, healthcare, and upliftment of the poor.
Special thanks were extended to Abraham Yousef, Aba Fasil, Solomon Asrat, Solomon Takele, Ato Felege, Sr. Marta, and the Goro Fathers for their invaluable assistance in bringing this vision to life.
As Fr. Samuel noted with quiet joy, “To see children of another land read and love the life of Mar Ivanios is to see the Bethany spirit walk on new soil.”
With this offering, the life of Venerable Mar Ivanios—first Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, pioneer of reunion, and founder of Bethany—reaches a new generation in Africa. His vision of unity, his fidelity to the apostolic tradition, and his heart for mission are now alive in Amharic.
May these stories sow seeds of holiness in young Ethiopian hearts, and may the words of Mar Ivanios, now in their own tongue, become the beginning of many quiet vocations.
A special word of thanks is due to Rev. Fr. Dominic Moozhikkara O.I.C., whose contribution of key source material helped enrich the accuracy and depth of this publication.
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