The Archbishop Takes Residence at Debre Bisrat St Gabriel W’a Abune Aregawi Cathedral
“I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified.” Jeremiah 23:4
The Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Europe has reached another significant milestone in its journey of spiritual restoration and renewal. Following the consecration of its new cathedral in London earlier this year, His Grace Archbishop Abune Ephrem has taken up residence in the newly renovated living quarters within the Cathedral complex. His arrival marks another important step in establishing the Cathedral as the permanent seat of the Archdiocese of Europe and in providing direct Episcopal shepherding to the Orthodox Tewahedo faithful of Tigrinya origin (Tegaru) across the continent.
This milestone comes just three years after the reinstatement of the Sea of Selama Kesate Birhan Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church as an Independent Church. On 16 July 2023, the Council of Bishops consecrated ten bishops and established diocesan structures to provide spiritual leadership and pastoral care to Orthodox Tewahedo Tegaru around the world.
Among them was Abune Ephrem, appointed Bishop of Europe. On 13 October 2023, he arrived in London and was received at Heathrow Airport by a jubilant gathering of Orthodox Tewahedo Tegaru. His arrival was a moment of profound joy and spiritual significance, affirming the restoration of a permanent ecclesiastical presence of the ancient Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo tradition in Europe.
The restoration of the Independent Church came against the backdrop of the devastating years since November 2020, when Tigray, its churches, clergy and faithful endured horrific atrocities, ethnic cleansing and genocide. Churches and monasteries were desecrated, ancient manuscripts and sacred artefacts destroyed or looted, and monks, priests and deacons among those massacred. The failure of the Addis Ababa-based Ethiopian Orthodox Church Synod to condemn the atrocities and destruction, together with its outright support for the war and rejection of repeated appeals from the Bishops of Tigray, profoundly eroded the trust of Orthodox Tewahedo Tegaru. In response, Tigray’s Council of Orthodox Tewahedo Bishops restored the ancient See of Selama Kesate Birhan at Axum as an Independent Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church, a step embraced by communities across the Diaspora as an act of spiritual restoration and preservation of their historic heritage and ecclesiastical identity.
For the London congregation, the restoration of the Independent Church was followed by another historic achievement: after nearly two decades of worshipping in temporary and often restrictive locations, the community secured a permanent home in Eltham. This achievement was made possible by the enduring dedication of the Church leadership under its founder Like Birhant Kesis (Reverend) Gebre Georgis Dimtsu, together with the many trustees and committee members who, over the years, sustained the life of the Church through difficult circumstances. Their commitment, alongside the perseverance and generosity of the wider Orthodox Tewahedo Tegaru community, helped galvanise a shared determination to establish a permanent home where the ancient faith and traditions of Tigray could be fully lived and passed on to future generations.
That long-held aspiration became reality on 24 and 25 April 2026, when Debre Bisrat St Gabriel Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church celebrated the official opening and consecration of its new permanent home in Eltham. Led by His Grace the Archbishop according to the ancient rites of the Church, the consecration included the anointing of the altar and the inner and outer walls of the church with Holy Myron oil. On the same occasion, the church was elevated to Cathedral status and designated as the seat of the Archdiocese of Europe. Its two Holy Tabots, St Gabriel and Abune Aregawi, were also formally incorporated into its ecclesiastical identity, giving the Cathedral its full name: Debre Bisrat St Gabriel W’a Abune Aregawi Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Cathedral.
Following the consecration, the Cathedral community undertook the renovation of living quarters for the Archbishop. This work has now been completed, and in the week leading up to Saturday, 22 August 2026, His Grace The Archbishop Abune Ephrem moved into his new residence within the Cathedral complex. His residence gives tangible expression to the Cathedral’s role as the living Episcopal Seat of the Archdiocese and strengthens its capacity to serve the faithful across Europe.
The occasion carries particular spiritual significance as it coincides with the celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the conclusion of Tsome Filseta, the fast honouring the death, resurrection and assumption of the Virgin Mary. During the fast, the Archbishop himself led the Cathedral’s first Subae (ሱባኤ) – an intense and ancient spiritual retreat and contemplative practice making this period one of particular prayer, reflection and spiritual renewal for the newly established Cathedral.
With the Archbishop now residing within the Cathedral, Debre Bisrat St Gabriel W’a Abune Aregawi Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Cathedral has become, in a tangible and living sense, the seat of the Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s Archdiocese of Europe. From this sacred home, the Archdiocese can strengthen its pastoral ministry, nurture the spiritual life of the faithful, and preserve and transmit the ancient heritage of the Tigray Orthodox Tewahedo Church to future generations.
For the Tigrinya Orthodox faithful in Europe and elsewhere across the world, this latest milestone is more than the completion of a building project. It is a visible sign of spiritual restoration and continuity, a place where the ancient faith of Axum and Tigray can be faithfully preserved, lived and shared in Europe. Above all, it is a testimony to the enduring grace of God and to Orthodox Tewahedo Tegaru whose faith, despite immense trials, continues to find a home.
"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ." Corinthians 2:14