Episcopal Consecration of Apostolic Vicar for Ethiopia’s Awasa Vicariate “auspicious, reason for our joy”: Predecessor

Hawassa, 14 February, 2025 / 9:16 AM

The Episcopal Consecration of the new Local Ordinary of Awasa Apostolic Vicariate in Ethiopia was an “auspicious” event worth celebrating with joy, the former Apostolic Administrator of the Horn of Africa Vicariate has said. 

In his message during the February 9 Episcopal Ordination of Mons. Merhakristos Gobezayehu Getachew Yilma at the Covenant of Mercy Cathedral of Awasa Apostolic Vicariate, Fr. Juan González Núñez, who had been serving as Apostolic Administrator since his appointment in September 2020 said that the transition “was so long”.

The period of waiting, the 80-year-old Spanish-born member of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus (MCCJ) said “was so long that it seemed to lose its very condition to become a permanent interim.”

“No one had forgotten the wait, and everyone kept praying for Awasa to have a Pastor,” Fr. Núñez added during the five-hour Episcopal Consecration that was celebrated according to the Latin Rite in Amharic with Prayers of the Faithful offered in Sidama, Guji, Borana and Gedeo, four of the seven languages spoken in the Apostolic Vicariate.

Credit: HCC Production, Atto Gebro and Pedro Pablo

“The auspicious day has come. Today, February 9, 2025, we are celebrating his Consecration and his taking possession of the ‘empty chair’. This is the reason for our joy”, the native of the Catholic Diocese of Orense in Spain emphasized.

Also speaking at the Ordination event, Charge d’affaires at the Addis Ababa-based Apostolic Nunciature, Mons. Massimo Catterin thanked Bishop Merhakristos for accepting God’s call to shepherd the people of God in Awasa.  

“Remember that you were Consecrated a Bishop in the Year of the Jubilee”, Mons. Massimo further said and lauded the organizers of the February 9 celebration for facilitating a “well organized” and lively Liturgy. 

The Vatican diplomat also thanked Fr. Núñez for his generous service as Apostolic Administrator for some four years.

Credit: HCC Production, Atto Gebro and Pedro Pablo

Awasa Apostolic Vicariate became vacant in September 2020 following the transfer of Bishop Roberto Bergamaschi to the Apostolic Vicariate of Gambella. Bishop Roberto, a member of the Religious Institute of the the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) from Italy, had been at the helm of Awasa Vicariate since June 2016. 

Until his Episcopal appointment for Awasa Apostolic Vicariate that was made public on 15 November 2024, Bishop Gobezayehu Yilma had been serving as Vicar Delegate of Ethiopia’s Apostolic Vicariate of Meki and Executive Director of the Diocesan Caritas.

The newly Consecrated Ethiopian Bishop, who has taken the Episcopal name Merhakristos, which means “led by Christ” in Ge’ez, the ancient liturgical language in Ethiopia, was born in Dodola, Oromia Region in Ethiopia’s Apostolic Vicariate of Harar.

Credit: HCC Production, Atto Gebro and Pedro Pablo

He was ordained a Priest of Meki Apostolic Vicariate on 16 January 2005 after completing his Priestly studies from the Capuchin Franciscan Institute in the country’s Addis Ababa Catholic Archdiocese.

The Catholic Bishop, who turned 46 last December holds a diploma in philosophy and a bachelor’s degree in theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome; he also pursued higher education in agronomy at Jimma University of Agriculture.

He earned a master’s degree in development studies from Kimmage Development Studies Institute in Ireland, a License in Divinity in Catholic Social Teaching, and a Doctorate in Theology with a dissertation on the ethical evaluation of the developmental state paradigm based on the Christian anthropology of John Paul II from the Maynooth-based St. Patrick’s Pontifical University in Ireland.

Credit: HCC Production, Atto Gebro and Pedro Pablo

As a Priest, he served in various capacities, including Secretary to the Vicar Apostolic of Meki, Youth Coordinator, and General Secretary of the Meki Catholic Secretariat.

Bishop Merhakristos has chosen “O Perpetual Help” as his Episcopal Motto.

Following his February 9 Episcopal Ordination that Berhaneyesus Demerew Cardinal Souraphiel of Ethiopia’s Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa presided over as the Principal Consecrator alongside Bishop Abraham Desta of Meki Apostolic Vicariate and Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, his Auxiliary, as Co-Consecrators, Bishop Merhakristos is the 5th Bishop of Awasa Apostolic Vicariate, and the first Ethiopian.

Credit: HCC Production, Atto Gebro and Pedro Pablo

Other dignitaries at the Consecration celebration were officials from the Apostolic Nunciature in Ethiopia, six other Bishops from Ethiopia, one Bishop from Nigeria, more than 100 Catholic Priests, hundreds of women Religious, as well as guests from Europe and the U.S.

Others were local politicians and representatives from Protestant Churches and the Laity, altogether filling the Covenant of Mercy Cathedral and three huge 5,000-seater tents.

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The Apostolic Vicariate of Awasa was erected on 25 March 1937 as Prefecture Apostolic of Neghelli before being elevated to its current state in October 1969.

Located in Southern Ethiopia, the Apostolic Vicariate measures 118,000 Kilometres and has a population of 272,662 Catholics representing 3 percent of the total population in the Ethiopian Episcopal See, according to the 2022 statistics. It has 20 parishes and 558 chapels.

Two Comboni Missionaries, Fr. Bruno Maccani and Fr. Bruno Lonfernini, arrived in Awasa on 18 December 1964 to start a missionary enterprise first among the Sidama and then after among the Gedeo and Guji. The duo had been expelled from Southern Sudan.

Credit: HCC Production, Atto Gebro and Pedro Pablo

They were joined by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (CSSp./Spiritans/Holy Ghost Fathers), who went to minister among the Borana. SDB members assumed the mission of Dilla from the Comboni Missionaries. 

Later, members of the Apostles of Jesus (AJ) from Kenya took over two missions from the Comboni Missionaries, one among the Gedeo and the other among Guji, and started the Catholic presence among the Amaro. The Jesuits and the Fidei donum opened one mission each among the Guji.

Currently, the Apostolic Vicariate of Awasa has 531 parttime and 109 fulltime catechists; 74 women Religious, 11 missionary and one local congregations; 47 Religious Priests and six Religious Brothers from four missionary institutes; 21 Diocesan Priests, nine major Seminarians and two Deacons.

Fr. José Da Silva Vieira and Fr. Pedro Pablo Hernández, both Comboni Missionaries in Ethiopia, contributed to this story.