Under the unblinking gaze of three owl-eyed icons in a mural painted at the head of the church, two rows of white-clad parishioners faced each other while singing and ringing sets of brass chimes to the booms of a traditional Ethiopian kabrero drum.
To one side of the dance is an ornate, brightly painted partition with intricate scenes depicting Bible stories custom painted by a deacon in Ethiopia.
To the other are hundreds of worshipers, singing along in the Ethiopian language Amharic, swaying and trilling in praise in Ethiopian ululation. The pews are fuller than they’ve been in decades.
The choreographed performance is about nine hours into a half-daylong service at St. Mary’s Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in north Spokane in an extensive celebration in honor of the holiday associated with the church’s namesake, St. Mary, that spurs the once-yearly procession with the holy Ark of the Covenant replica.
Even more reason to celebrate, it just so happens to be about a year ago that the Ethiopian congregation purchased the church from Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church, from which St. Mary parishioners used to rent the small basement for Sunday service.
“We have been like wanderers finding a place where we can peacefully worship,” said Dagnachew Uma, who sits on the church council. “And we have gotten more than we expected because we now have a big, beautiful church.”
The holiday drew hundreds in the religion from as far as Seattle and Portland, including a regional bishop who formally consecrated the building. It’s traditional to celebrate holidays at a nearby church named for the festival, like the St. Mary celebration at St. Mary’s.
With visitors occupying the pews, plus the regular congregation of 70 or so people, it’s a far cry from the few who would regularly attend service at Messiah.
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