With a vision shaped by international contact and a deep desire to pray in the local language while serving the community, Emahoy Haregwein believed his vocation extended beyond his personal religious life. She was determined to create a convent that not only embraced local traditions but also answered the call to serve the poor and needy, making her a pioneer in Ethiopian Catholic history.
Bejavit Bogle
Rome, Tuesday, November 19, 2024 (Vatican News): “I want to be an Ethiopian Catholic nun.” With this bold statement, Emahoy Haregewein, a pioneer in Ethiopia, founded the Benedictine Convent of the Holy Trinity, the first local convent within the Ethiopian Catholic Church. Members of the convent are given the title “Emahoy”, an Amharic word meaning “my mother”. This title reflects the belief that all women are mothers: some become biological mothers, while others, like religious sisters, dedicate their lives to being spiritual mothers to all.
From religious inspiration to monastic leadership
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Emahoy Haregewein attended the French school Lycée Gebremariam, where she was exposed to various cultures and languages.
At the age of 16, after attending her first Mass at St. Francis Parish with a Catholic friend, she was deeply influenced by religious observance and desired to strengthen her relationship with Christ. Despite her Orthodox background, she was drawn to Catholicism, attended mass regularly and aspired to become a nun. After seeing the image of Saint Francis, his faith deepened and his commitment to his vocation was strengthened.
Inspired by prayer and spiritual guidance, Emahoy Haregewein overcame challenges and joined the order of the Little Sisters of Jesus, founded by Saint Charles de Foucauld. He continued his religious training in several countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, France and Italy, while continuing to seek answers to his spiritual questions.
In 2007, while attending a seminar on Ethiopian monastic traditions, he felt he had found the answers he was looking for. At that time he began his mission to establish a Catholic convent that would reflect Ethiopia’s unique spiritual and cultural identity.
In 2018, she realized her long-held dream by establishing Ethiopia’s first Catholic convent, the “Benedictine Convent of the Holy Trinity”.
While living in France with the support of the Benedictines, she used her free time to raise money by selling handmade souvenirs. This allowed him to buy a small house in Addis Ababa.
Later, with the support of the French Benedictines, he bought land in Holeta, 40 km from the capital. With the blessing and approval of Cardinal Barhenius Sorafil, Archbishop of Addis Ababa and President of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Ethiopia, he was granted the privilege of founding the convent.
Wearing his new monastic robes and praying in the local language, he feels like he has finally discovered the answers to the gaps in his religious journey.
A mission related to agricultural initiatives
Emahoy Haregewein advocates integrating faith into local culture while promoting financial self-sufficiency in her convent. They initiated agricultural initiatives such as poultry and egg production and animal husbandry to ensure long-term sustainability.
Inspired by Pope Francis’ call to care for the environment, she adopted environmentally friendly practices, including organic farming, which benefited both the convent and the community.
Their vision extended beyond the convent and they began a kindergarten program that connects their community and local villagers. Through her educational and agricultural projects, Sister Amhoy builds strong relationships with villagers, providing them with guidance on parenting and organic food preparation.
She sees this program as a divine opportunity to pave the way for future schools in the region and emphasizes the importance of local self-reliance, allowing communities to carry out pastoral activities independently rather than relying completely on outside help.
A monastic life and a call to holiness
Emahoy sees the convent as a peaceful sanctuary where devotees can join the sisters in prayer, reflection and spiritual counseling in their local languages. Their goal is to create a place where faith and community flourish together, developing deeper connections with God and each other.
She encourages married couples to have more children and form prayerful families, while urging those discerning their calling to spend time in prayer and listening to God’s guidance.
In light of media publicity, she hopes to create a website for the convent to spread vocational messages. For him, sanctification is not limited to religious life, but is a universal vocation, insisting that the Church will survive only if we are willing to make sacrifices for the love of Jesus Christ.
