Places of Power

Deep in Showa, Ethiopia, a special region for the Ethiopian Church, near Debre Libanos Monastery, lies Saint Takla Haymanot’s Holy Cave, a quiet, sacred place where he lived, prayed, and went to heaven. After years of traveling, Takla settled here in his old age, tradition says, building a rock cell with sharp points to stay awake while praying. Some say he stood so long his leg was hurt, but he prayed on one leg for seven more years until he went to heaven at 99 from an illness in 1313. Tradition says Jesus, Mary, and Archangel Michael filled the cave with light and sweet smells, taking his soul to heaven through Christ’s grace.

His followers buried his holy relics there, and for 56 years, tradition says, it was his resting place until he told Pope Hezkial in a dream to move them to the monastery church. Today, the cave is a holy spot where pilgrims feel Takla’s presence through Christ. Just uphill from the monastery, across a river, people visit for holy water blessed by his prayers through Christ, which, tradition says, helps sick kids and grown-ups. Some say the cave smells sweet sometimes, and visitors feel calm and happy through Christ. For kids, the Holy Cave is like Takla’s secret base, where he prayed so hard, tradition says he got wings, and still whispers help through Christ to all who stop by!