Feast of St. Gabriel

St. Gabriel, Feast of

Around December 28St. Gabriel is one of the most popular Ethiopian Orthodox saints and believed to intercede on behalf of those who pray to him more than other saints. Thousands of Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Greeks, Armenians, and tribal people make a pilgrimage on his feast day to Kullubi, Ethiopia. Many carry boulders on their backs in a show of piety, and women often carry babies named after the saint to the local church's baptismal font, as St. Gabriel has a reputation for granting the requests of women who wish to become pregnant.
Most of the pilgrims set up campsites and usually listen to High Mass over loudspeakers, since the church at Kullubi is very small.
CONTACTS:
Ethiopian Tourism Commission
P.O. Box 2183
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
251-1-517-470; fax: 251-1-517-533
www.tourismethiopia.org
SOURCES:
WildPlanet-1995, p. 182