Saint Takla Haymanot

Saint Takla Haymanot is one of the greatest saints of Ethiopia and is venerated in the Coptic Orthodox Church as well, reflecting the deep historic bond between the Coptic and Ethiopian churches. He was born around 1215 AD in central Ethiopia to a priestly family and from childhood showed extraordinary devotion to prayer and the Scriptures.

He was ordained a deacon and later a priest, then became a monk and traveled across Ethiopia, including to Egypt to visit the Coptic monasteries and learn from the monks there. For twenty-two years he traveled on foot through Ethiopian mountains and valleys, preaching the Gospel, baptizing, building churches, and healing the sick. He is credited with reviving and spreading Christianity across large regions of Ethiopia.

In his old age, he committed himself to a remarkable discipline of prayer: he stood on one leg in prayer for seven years. According to tradition, after seven years, his standing leg dried up and fell off — and he continued standing on one leg for the remaining years of his life. He is often depicted in icons with a leg hanging separately. He died at an extremely old age in 1313 AD. He is venerated as the "Apostle of Ethiopia" and his feast is celebrated by millions of Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Christians, as well as Coptic Christians who see him as part of the same great African Christian family.