Services — መንበረ ጸባኦት ቅድስት ሥላሴ የኢ/ኦ/ተ/ቤ/ክ ሲያትል

ቅዱሳት ምሥጢራትና አገልግሎቶች

Sacramental & Pastoral Services

The Holy Mysteries of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church are visible signs of God's invisible grace, instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, sanctification, and eternal life.

⭐ Foundational Mystery of Salvation

💧

Holy Baptism

ምሥጢረ ጥምቀት · New Birth in Christ

Holy Baptism is the sacred gateway into the Holy Church. Through triple immersion in consecrated water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the believer receives remission of sins, spiritual regeneration, and adoption into God's family.

📌 Canonical Church Requirements & Guidelines:

Designated Age: In accordance with Leviticus 12 and Apostolic tradition, male infants are brought for baptism on their 40th day (በ፵ ቀን) and female infants on their 80th day (በ፹ ቀን).
Godparents (Spiritual Sponsors): A Godfather for a male child and a Godmother for a female child. Sponsors must be active, baptized, and practicing Ethiopian Orthodox Christians in good standing.
Shaving of Infant Head: Before the sacrament, the infant's hair is shaved following sacred tradition, preparing the child to receive the 36 holy anointings of Holy Myron (ሜሮን / Holy Chrism) upon the crown, forehead, senses, and limbs as the indelible seal of the Holy Spirit.
White Robes & Ma'eteb: The infant is dressed in reverent white christening attire symbolizing purity and is invested with the sacred baptismal neck cord (ማዕተብ / Ma'eteb).
First Holy Communion: Immediately following baptism and Chrismation, the infant receives the Holy Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

✉️ Email Priest Office

Holy Mystery

💍

Holy Matrimony

ምሥጢረ ተክሊልና ሠርግ · Sacred Crowning

Holy Matrimony is the solemn crowning of a Christian bride and groom into one united flesh under Christ and His Church. The union reflects the sacred love between Christ and His Holy Church.

📌 Matrimonial Requirements:

Both bride and groom must be baptized Orthodox Christians in good standing.
Pre-marital spiritual counseling sessions with church clergy (minimum 3 sessions).
Submission of baptismal certificates and presentation of civil marriage license.
Wedding sponsors (ሚዜዎች) who are active, practicing Orthodox Christians.

Sacrament of Healing

🙏

Sacrament of Confession

ምሥጢረ ንስሐ · Reconciliation with God

Every Orthodox Christian is called to maintain a personal relationship with a Father of Confession (የንስሐ አባት). In this sacrament, sins confessed with sincere tears and repentance receive divine absolution and spiritual renewal.

📌 Pastoral Guidance:

Confessions are heard in strict, inviolable sacerdotal secrecy.
Available before/after Sunday Liturgy, on Saturday evenings, or by appointment.
Personalized spiritual remedies and fasting penance (ቀኖና) for soul healing.

Supreme Mystery

✝️

Divine Liturgy & Communion

ቅዳሴና ቅዱስ ቍርባን · Weekly Worship

The weekly Divine Liturgy is the center of our communal faith. The faithful gather for sacred prayers, biblical readings from መጽሐፈ ግጻዌ, Ge'ez hymnody, and partaking of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

📌 Preparation for Holy Communion:

Strict fasting from all food and liquids from midnight prior to morning Liturgy.
Spiritual reconciliation, peaceful conscience, and absolution from Father of Confession.
Modest, reverent white traditional attire (ነጠላ).

View Liturgy Schedule →

Pastoral Bereavement

🕊️

Funeral Rites & Memorials

ፍትሐትና መታሰቢያ · Solace & Prayers

Our clergy provide immediate spiritual comfort and solemn funeral services (ፍትሐት) according to Church canon, accompanied by traditional 3rd day, 7th day, 12th day, 40th day (አርባ), and annual memorial services (ተዝካር).

Home Pastoral Care

🏡

House & Business Blessing

ጸሎተ ቤትና ቡራኬ · Sanctification

Parish priests visit member homes and workplaces to offer incense, protective Gospel readings, and sprinkles of sanctified Holy Water (ፀበል) for divine peace, protection, and prosperity.

Spiritual Education

📖

Sunday School & Education

ሰንበት ትምህርትና ነቅዐ ጥበባት

Nurturing our children and youth in Orthodox Christian theology, Holy Scripture, Amharic and Ge'ez languages, and traditional hymnody (መዝሙር) in a warm, welcoming community environment.

Explore Sunday School →

መንፈሳዊ ጥያቄዎችና መልሶች

Orthodox Faith & Tradition Q&A

Explore authentic answers to common questions regarding Church dogma, fasting traditions, sacraments, liturgical music, and Orthodox daily life.

Why do Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fast on Wednesdays and Fridays? −

In accordance with Apostolic Canon, Wednesdays and Fridays are kept as sacred fast days throughout the entire year:

Wednesday (ረቡዕ): Commemorates the plot, betrayal, and arrest of our Lord Jesus Christ by Judas Iscariot.
Friday (ዓርብ): Commemorates the holy Crucifixion, Passion, and Death of our Lord on the Cross at Golgotha for our salvation.

On these days, the faithful abstain from meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs until mid-afternoon (around 3:00 PM), with the sole exception of the 50 joyful days of Easter (ሀምሳ ፆም).

How do the faithful prepare to receive the Holy Eucharist (ቅዱስ ቍርባን)? +

Partaking of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ is the sacred pinnacle of Christian worship and requires diligent preparation:

Repentance & Absolution: Confession before one's Father of Confession (የንስሐ አባት) and receiving his blessing and canonical absolution.
Total Fasting: Complete abstinence from all food, water, and liquids for at least 18 hours (from midnight prior to morning Liturgy, or 9 hours prior to an afternoon Liturgy).
Reconciliation: Making peace with all brothers and sisters, forgiving all grievances, and maintaining prayerful quietude.
Reverent Attire: Wearing clean, traditional white modest dress (ነጠላ) and approaching the Holy Sanctuary with deep reverence and awe.

What are the exact rules for infant Baptism and Godparents? +

Infant Baptism in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church adheres strictly to biblical and apostolic canon:

Timing: Boys are baptized on their 40th day and girls on their 80th day (Leviticus 12).
Godparents: A Godfather for boys, a Godmother for girls. Sponsors must be active, practicing baptized Orthodox Christians who assume spiritual custody for the child's Christian upbringing.
Shaving Infant Head: The infant's hair is shaved prior to immersion to prepare the child for the 36 anointings of Holy Myron (ሜሮን) across the senses and bodily members.
White Robes & Ma'eteb: The child receives a white christening garment and the sacred baptismal cord (ማዕተብ), worn as a lifelong testimony of faith.

What is the role of a Father of Confession (የንስሐ አባት)? +

In Orthodox tradition, every Christian has a personal priest who serves as their spiritual father (የንስሐ አባት). The priest acts as a physician of the soul who:

Hears private confessions under the sacred, unbreakable seal of confession.
Conveys divine absolution from Christ and provides fatherly pastoral advice.
Guides members through grief, marriage, family disputes, and major life decisions.
Prescribes spiritual exercises and penance (ቀኖና) to restore spiritual health.

Why does the Church use Ge'ez chanting, drums (ከበሮ), and sistra (ጸናጽል)? +

The hymnody of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church traces back to Saint Yared (ቅዱስ ያሬድ) in the 6th century, who received the sacred melodies and musical notations through direct revelation of the Holy Spirit.

The three distinct musical modes — Ge'ez, Ezel, and Araray — combined with the solemn rhythm of the sistrum (ጸናጽል) and drum (ከበሮ), mirror the heavenly choirs of angels praising God before His celestial throne, as envisioned in Psalm 150 and the Revelation of Saint John.

Have a specific theological or personal inquiry?

Our parish priests are available for spiritual consultation and pastoral guidance.