For thirty years Eritrean and Ethiopian Catholics that reside in and around the Metropolitan area of Washington, DC have been worshiping together under the care and administration of the Archdioceses of Washington.

This could not have been possible without the tremendous and invaluable support from the Archdioceses of Washington. The Archdioceses has not only sponsored our existence, but took immeasurable efforts to respect our unique needs -rite,culture, history and language. The Archdiocese worked in good faith and hand in hand with the churches of both Eritrea and Ethiopia to make sure all our spiritual needs are met in the right balance.

For 30 years this Geez Rite Catholic community has been served by priest that were able to speak the Amharic and Tigrigna languages. Six month ago, a new priest- Fr. Desebel Kidane Kahesey -was assigned to serve Kidane Mehret Geez Rite Catholic parish. He is fluent in Amharic and Tigrigna. He is the fourth priest assigned for our parish in past 30 years

This assignment has become a scandal to some amharic speaking Ethiopians who have incessantly been lobbying to stop the assignment Fr. Desbele Kahsey to Kidane Mehret Parish. As bad as this sounds, it even gets unbelievably strange in that their lobbying seems to have won over some Ethiopian Bishops.

We have learned that they have ordered Fr. Desbele Kahesey to pack up and leave. To add injury to insult, the priest that is to replace Fr. Kahseys does not even meet one of the most important requirement needed to serve this community- He does not speak tigrigna- a language that Eritreans and a large number of Ethiopians speak. Speaking tigrigna is not a luxury, but very vital. How is a priest that does not speak your language to serve you. Would the amharic only speaking Ethiopians accept such an arrangement? Where is the logic or justice in this ? It important to note a significant majority of amharic speaking Ethiopian Catholics are opposed to the removal of Fr. Desbele and the scheme to make our Parish an amharic only parish

De facto, this means that Kidane Mehret parish is to become a parish just for amharic speaking Ethiopians Catholics and that Eritreans and Tigrigna speaking Ethiopians catholics are to be evicted from the parish they had made their spiritual home for the last 30 years. We refuse to believe that such gross human right violation would be allowed or tolerated by the Archdioceses of Washington.

Eritrean members and Amharic and Tigrigna speaking Ethiopians of Kidane Mehret Parish ask all Catholics and people of good conscious to join us in our effort to stop what is morally and ethically wrong and unjust. We ask the parish council which is made up of Eritrean and Ethiopian Catholics and hold themselves to the highest standard of Catholic moral and social teachings, as well as universal human rights and norms to advance our cause to the Archdiocese of Washington

Join us to do the right thing - to continue to serve both communities in charity, equality and justice. Charity without justice and equity is as good as dead.

We implore you to support this petition so that the rights of Eritrean Catholics and Tigrigna speaking Ethiopians would not be disregarded. please sign the petition and send it via the email link.

- Stop the harassment of Fr. Kahsey and to let Fr. Desbele Kahsey continue the awesome service his has been providing to both communities full term.

- Stop actions that trample and violate the rights of all parishioners regardless of their country of origin. Insure that our priests continue to speak both languages fluently.

- Adhere to the tradition of consulting both bishops of Eritrea and bishops Ethiopia in matters that concerns the appointment and replacement of priests that serve their constituents.

- Do not allow the de facto eviction of more than half of parishioners.

God bless and guide the Archdioceses of Washington.

Thank you