Washington D.C., District of Columbia — First Mass, January 1, 1984

January 1, 1984

Location	Washington D.C.
State/Territory	District of Columbia
Modern Diocese	Archdiocese of Washington
Historical Diocese	Archdiocese of Washington
Date	January 1, 1984
Priest	Father Tesfamariam Baraki
Religious Order	Diocesan / Secular clergy
Rite	Ge'ez Rite (Ethiopic)
Expedition	Kidane-Mehret Ge'ez Rite Catholic Church
Confidence	confirmed
Submitted by	@ecofire2

Documentation

Catholic standard

Notes

The Ge'ez Rite (Alexandrian-Ethiopic) is the only native apostolic liturgy to originate in sub-Saharan Africa, utilizing the classical and sacred Ge'ez language. This inaugural 1984 service brought together a diaspora crowd of roughly 50 people. The parish name, Kidane-Mehret, translates from Ge'ez as "Covenant of Mercy," a highly revered Marian title in Northeast Africa.

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