00:00In the art of Washington, D.C., the sound of ancient Gaius chants echoes from Riyaz Abdubarat Debrisalem.
00:07Kid is Miriam Church, a spiritual home for thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians,
00:12preserving centuries-old traditions.
00:15Worshippers wrapped in traditional white Nutella shawls bow in reference
00:20and fill the church with prayers and incense smoke.
00:23Our tradition is ancient. It comes from apostolic times.
00:27And we believe in holy tradition.
00:32We have the Bible. We also have the holy tradition.
00:35But the two are not separate.
00:38The Ethiopian Orthodox Church in D.C. serves not just as a place of worship,
00:43but a cultural and spiritual anchor for largest Ethiopian diaspora community in the U.S.
00:49The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has so many beautiful rituals and services.
00:58Every day has its own meaning and a very deep one.
01:02When I'm here, it's full of Ethiopians and full of people that are very welcoming
01:07because that's how we Ethiopians are.
01:09But when I'm here in this church, that's how it really feels, and it really feels like home.
01:15With more than 1,500 registered members and over 4,000 weekly attendees,
01:22the church is deeply committed to passing on faith and language to younger generations.
01:27These kids, if they learn the tradition, the language, and also the faith, of course, the religion,
01:41if they do that, they can balance.
01:45You know, life here is very hectic, you know,
01:47and also it's geared towards material profit.
01:52But the tradition concentrates on, focuses on spiritual development.
02:00So engaged youth services are offered in both Ambaric and English,
02:05with translations displayed on screens.
02:07Through tradition, language, and faith,
02:10the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in D.C. stands as a living bridge
02:13between Asian heritage and modern diaspora life.
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