His Grace Abune Zena Markos dies

Ethiomedia February 14, 2010
SEATTLE - His Grace Abune Zena Markos died on Saturday here in Seattle. He was one of the most revered spiritual fathers for millions of Tewahdo Orthodox Christian Ethiopians.
We at Ethiomedia - who had the privilege of being blessed as the children of Abune Zena Markos, express our shock and sadness over the death of our father, His Holiness Abune Zena Markos.
In the short time we announced the passing away of His Grace Abune Zena Markos, who was the revered spiritual father at St. Gabriel's Church of Seattle, we received calls and email messages - some of sympathy and others seeking more information about his early life. "We in Seattle are greatly privileged to have in residence His Grace Abuna Zena Markos," Hizkias Woldegabriel emailed us prior to the death of the Abune Zena Marcos. Hizkias also included a short bio posted below:
Background
Abuna Zena Markos began his clerical education in 1952 in a monastic church school in Ethiopia. In 1960 he was ordained a priest for service at Debre Libanos Monastery in Ethiopia. In 1979 he was consecrated an Arch-bishop for service in Wollega, western Ethiopia. From 1985 to 1991, Abuna Zena Markos served as Assistant Patriarch in Ethiopia under First Patriarch Tekla Haimanot and then Patriarch Merkorewos. From 1991 to 1992 Abuna Zena served as the chairperson of the Holy Synod in Ethiopia. In 1990 he helped start St. Gabriel's parish in Seattle and on April 15, 1994 Abuna took up residence in Seattle.
'He fought a good fight'
“I have fought the good fight. I have completed the race. I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7
From the messages we received, Kirubeal Bekele of Seattle began his thoughts with the quote above, and continues:
"We are witnesses to the good fight our father Abune Zena Markos fought. To the unwavering faith he kept. To the race he completed. And with a shining victory. We are his fruits. His children. Any body wants to know who Abuno Zena is all about? Look at us. So many of us. Too many to count. His spiritual babies. He brought all of us to the foot of the cross. We were hopeless and helpless. We were lost. We were slaves of sin. God was on the bottom of our list. But Abune Zena freed us from slavery. Freed us from the grip of the devil and the flesh. He filled us with love and unspeakable joy.
And here came Abune Zena to Seattle. Many years ago. We had no church of our own. Nobody listened. Nobody cared. But Abune Zena began the good fight. The fight to bring all of us to our almighty God. He awakened our spirits. Spirits that were long dead. Through thick and thin, he kept the faith. He completed the race. The result? Look at Seattle. We have our beautiful St. Gabriel Church. Look at all his beautiful children. He taught us to love God and love each other. We came back to Christ. We were born again. We were lost. But Abune Zena found us. Thanks to Abune Zena, Christ now lives in us. Thanks to Abune Zena, we now live and worship with joy."
"Dignified Father"
"In late 1991, Abune Zena Markos, a truly dignified and charismatic personality as is often the case with almost every Ethiopian Church Father, came to my office (as you may guess I was totally overwhelmed by his presence) to see me at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where I was holed up at the time, to discuss with me about several problems the Church was having and asked me for some help such as the opening of the main gate of the Cathedral of the Trinity, the return of the Church’s property near Arat Kilo, the release of budgetary fund for the Church et cetera. Of course, I protested to his visiting with me on the ground that as the august Father of our Church he could simply have summoned me to come to his office rather than make a trip to see some lowly advisor like me. [source: tekolahagos.com]