Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Lunch and St. George's Cathedrals (Plural)
Day 3 of (W)HOLE's Ethiopian Immersion 2025
Wednesday afternoon, we were still adjusting and recovering from jet lag. Eyosias, our driver and the oldest of the Zebene kids, delivered us back to the Fountain Hotel. Before a much-needed nap, lunch was necessary. On the ground level of the hotel is a cafe and bakery. They serve burgers, sandwiches, pizza, traditional Ethiopian food, donuts, shortbread cookies, and more.
club sandwich with fries
Fountain "special" burger with fries
shiro (injera and thick chickpea stew) for the win!!!
A little sleep refreshed us, and then we were ready to go again. In planning the activities of the 2025 Ethiopian Immersion Trip, Bill mentioned that he would like to tour some churches while in Addis Ababa. Not a problem! Ethiopia boasts a diverse selection of churches, cathedrals, mosques, and other religious sites. We hopped in the car and I asked Eyosias to take us to see St. George Cathedral. Again, not a problem! We arrive here...
Confusion washed over my mind. I thought to myself, "Huh, this place REALLY looks different from how I remember." Questioning my memory, my hold on reality, and the location. Eyosias affirmed that this was St. George's Cathedral. "Orthodox?" I asked. Nope. Little did I know, this was St. George's CATHOLIC Cathedral in Addis Ababa. Part of the fun was that I had never visited this site. It was something new for Bill, Lynne, and me!
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In the center of the stone facade perched a bell tower. A balcony wrapped around the second story. Steps reaching the entire length of the front led to a porch lined with potted plants. Multiple pieces of art (weather-resistant) graced the entrances. Mary and Jesus as a child. Christ glorified. Three sets of heavy wooden double doors beckoned visitors to enter the sanctuary.
The interior revealed an open sanctuary with a balcony above the back portion. On the walls, relief carvings told the story of the stations of the cross. Icons, painted portraits of religious figures, hung around the space.
In the front, paintings of the four gospel writers watched over the altar area. The sun shone through the stained glass windows, rounding out the sacred vibe.
To each side of the altar sat prayer stations complete with candles, art, and prayer rugs.
This. This depiction of Jesus is EVERYWHERE! Even in Ethiopia. The artist painted Christ as a pensive white man with flowing hair and a thick beard, staring off into the void. There must be billions of copies of this piece around the world. Maybe trillions.
While it wasn't what I initially expected to visit, it was a beautiful, sacred space. I'm glad we were mixed up and found ourselves there.
After visiting St. George's Catholic Cathedral, we went in search of St. George's Orthodox Cathedral. As we arrived, I noticed netting up around the building. Followers were stationed outside deep in their individual prayers. It was 4:50 pm.
We were allowed to enter the courtyard and walk around the building, but the inside was completely closed off due to renovations. By this time, it was 4:48 pm. I remembered there was a small museum off to one side. Visiting there would at least give us some opportunity to learn about this famous cathedral. We walked up to the small gated entrance. It was closed. They closed at 5:00 pm. We struck out for this trip.
However, Kevin and I did visit this cathedral back in 2014. Check out the blog link below to get a peek at the inside of the church.
St. George Orthodox Cathedral, July 2014
https://ajourneybutnotalone.blogspot.com/2014/07/yup-were-church-dorks-ethiopia-round-3.html
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