ERITREA: Marks Golden Jubilee of St. Justin De Jacobi, First Prefect Apostolic of Ethiopia
Zerayohannes Ghebrehiwet
The 50th Jubilee Commemoration of the elevation to sainthood of St. Justin De Jacobis was celebrated on Saturday, October 25, with a Thanksgiving Holy Mass led by Archbishop Menghisteab Tesfamariam, accompanied by religious superiors and more than 20 co-celebrant priests at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Kidane Mehret.
In his circular letter, dated October 11, 2025, to all the faithful and religious congregations in the country, Archbishop Tesfamariam invited all the faithful to participate in this special occasion of thanksgiving to God and honouring the Apostle of the Catholic Faith in the country, St. Justin de Jacobis, who was elevated to sainthood by Pope St. Paul VI on October 26, 1975.
“50 years ago on this date, the Catholic Church, through Pope Paul VI, elevated Justin de Jacobis to sainthood. And we are the fruits of the seed that was sown by this holy man, together with his colleagues, that the catholic faith, both in Ethiopia and Eritrea, two Metropolitan Arch-eparchies and six dioceses,” he said, emphasizing the contribution of the catholic church serving and providing both pastoral and social services for all without any discrimination of faith, color or region in both these countries.
Most Rev. Tesfamariam also highlighted the weaknesses of the previous and current followers of St. Jacob in publicizing him all over the world, tracing back what St. Paul VI said in Rome during the canonization ceremony that ‘the only weakness of St. Jacob is that he is not known’.
“This is not his weakness but ours,” the prelate continued, “and this jubilee is a special opportunity for all of us to know his spirituality, his pastoral zeal, and the temptations and persecutions he faced, and to begin our journey with a renewed spirit.”
In his homily during the Thanksgiving Mass, the Prelate presented the simple life of St. Jacob saying, “St. Jacob and his follower missionaries ate what we eat, respected our culture, spoke the language we speak, and not only looked African but became ‘Africa’.” He also compared his life and the change of his name from De Jacobis to Jacob with that of the Great Apostle, St. Paul, who changed his name from Saul to Paul.
The Eparchy of Segeneiti also celebrated the 175th Year of the establishment of the First Eparchial Seat of St. Jacob at St. Michael Church in Halay on August 3rd, 2025. The Eparchy of Segeneiti declared a year of Jubilee in commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the Parish Church of St. Michael, the 1st seat of St. Jacob, and the 75th year of new Church construction there.
