Felix Mary Ghebreamlak

From his seminary years, Haylemariam nurtured a deep desire to introduce Catholic monasticism in Ethiopia and Eritrea. He was convinced that the monastic life, deeply respected by local Orthodox Christians, constituted the best means to foster Christian unity and ecumenical dialogue. In Rome, he studied monastic theology and sought advice from the Abbot of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Dom Ildefonso Schuster (the future Blessed). In 1927, he entered the Benedictine Abbey of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, then spent time at the monastery of Farfa. However, the Benedictines felt that their way of life was too marked by Latin culture to adapt to the Ethiopian mentality, and they refused to support the foundation of a monastery in Ethiopia. Disappointed, Haylemariam left Farfa on November 19, 1929, and returned to the Ethiopian College. The situation evolved in 1930 thanks to Cardinal Alexis-Henri Lépicier, Prefect of the Congregation for Religious, who supported the idea of a local Catholic monasticism. The Cardinal proposed the project to the Cistercian Abbey of Casamari (located in Veroli, Italy), led by Abbot Angelo Savastano. The abbey accepted the project with enthusiasm. On September 3, 1930, Pope Pius XI gave his official blessing to this undertaking. On October 16, 1930, Haylemariam entered the Abbey of Casamari, becoming the first Ethiopian Cistercian monk. He was admitted to the novitiate on December 7, 1930, and took the religious name of Felix Mary (Felice Maria). Upon crossing the threshold of the monastic enclosure, he exclaimed: "These are the gates of paradise." His example inspired other vocations: in May 1931, a first group of twelve Ethiopian and Eritrean aspirants joined him at Casamari to be trained there. Felix Mary taught them the liturgical language, Ge'ez, and monastic spirituality.

In 1933, while he was fully dedicated to the formation of future monks, Felix Mary was diagnosed with incurable pulmonary tuberculosis. Due to the risk of contagion, he could no longer reside at the monastery and had to be hospitalized. His superiors, hoping for a miracle, sent him on a pilgrimage to Lourdes at the end of August 1933, but his health continued to decline.

Faced with the imminence of his death, his superiors granted him the exceptional authorization to pronounce his solemn monastic vows in advance. On April 4, 1934, he made his solemn profession in articulo mortis. He lived his final days in deep union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Felix Mary died on June 8, 1934, the feast day of the Sacred Heart that year, at the hospital in Sora (Frosinone, Italy), at the age of 38. His last words were: "Jesus, I love you and I want to love you always" ("Gesù, ti amo e voglio amarti sempre"). He was buried in the monastic cemetery of Casamari Abbey. On October 10, 1964, his mortal remains were transferred inside the abbey church of Casamari.

The reputation for holiness of Felix Mary Ghebreamlak spread rapidly after his death, particularly among the Ethiopian and Eritrean clergy who came to pray at his tomb. The beatification process was officially opened in 1955. The ordinary informative diocesan inquiry took place from 1956 to 1960, conducted jointly by the diocese of Sora and the Ge'ez rite archeparchy of Asmara. The conclusions were transmitted to Rome, and the Congregation of Rites examined his writings to verify their doctrinal orthodoxy on January 16, 1968. The cause was officially accepted by the Holy See in 1969. From 1980 to 1984, new supplementary inquiries were conducted in Sora and Asmara. On March 24, 1992, the theological consultants of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated the heroic nature of his virtues, followed by the cardinals and bishops on October 20, 1992. On December 21, 1992, during a consistory, Pope John Paul II solemnly promulgated the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his theological and cardinal virtues, thus conferring upon him the title of Venerable. The cause is currently awaiting the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession to allow for his beatification.

The spirituality of Felix Mary Ghebreamlak is deeply Eucharistic, Marian, and centered on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. His birth name, Haylemariam ("power of Mary"), chosen because he was born on the day of the Marian feast of the "Covenant of Mercy" in the Ge'ez liturgy, marked his life with a profound trust in the Virgin Mary. His most significant legacy is the foundation of Cistercian monasticism of the Oriental (Ge'ez) rite in the Horn of Africa. Although he died before he could return to his country to physically establish a monastery, his dream was realized thanks to the companions he trained at Casamari. In 1940, the first Cistercian foundation was established in Beleza, before being transferred to Asmara in 1948. Today, the work of Felix Mary Ghebreamlak continues through several active Cistercian monasteries belonging to the Casamari congregation: four in Ethiopia (Mendida, Addis Ababa, Hosanna, and Gondar) and two in Eritrea (Asmara and Keren), bringing together more than a hundred monks who live, work, and pray according to the Rule of Saint Benedict while maintaining their traditional Oriental rite.