[Oe List ...] Fwd: Father Michael Taffesse

Wed Mar 7 14:45:50 PST 2018

What a wealth ofmemories! Thanks to all for sharing them. I’m amazed at how when we look at thelives of various people we know, we uncovers threads that make up the intricatefabric of our history as a community.
Dharma
    On Thursday, 8 March 2018, 03:52:58 GMT+8, Isobel Bishop via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:  

 Thankyou Judy 

Sent from my iPhone
On 7 Mar 2018, at 11:00 pm, James Wiegel via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

Yes, always seemed a holy man, and so kind.  I also have memories of him walking the hall, behind a little one, hands out and down ready to catch a fall.  I also remember  Fr. Michael on elevator duty.  Judy found this picture.
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Jim Wiegel401 North Beverly Way, Tolleson, Arizona 85353Tel. 011-623-936-8671 or 011-623-363-3277jfwiegel at yahoo.comwww.partnersinparticipation.com
Loneliness does not come from having no people around you. But from being unable to communicate the things that seem important to you.  Carl Jung
On Mar 6, 2018, at 21:24, Jann McGuire via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

Thank you for letting us know. I was telling friends about Fr. Michael last week. after he appeared in my very ordinary dream. I didn't know him well because I was very much in awe of his presence, which seemed holy to me.
Jann McGuire
On Tue, Mar 6, 2018 at 6:51 PM, E B via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:

Thank you so much Margaret for sharing your story about Fr. Michael. When Addi and I arrived in Chicago, we immediately made deep connection with Fr. Michael. I wondered if it was Addi and his shared experience as political prisoners that drew them close together. Fr Michael was always a great soul to visit every time we had a chance. Elsa BaticaMinneapolis, MN

      From: Margaret Aiseayew via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
 To: 'Order Ecumenical Community' <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net> 
Cc: Margaret Aiseayew <aiseayew at netins.net>
 Sent: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 2:45 PM
 Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Fwd: Father Michael Taffesse

Fr. Michael was a spiritual advisor to Haile Selassie.  Selassie was referred to as the Lion of Judah and his lineage went back into the 1100’s I think.  If you don’t have an image of Selassie google President Kennedy’s funeral and you will see the miniature Selassie walking beside the gigantic Charles De Gaulle of France.  They were in the front rank of the dignitaries attending.Our first International Training Institute in Africa was in Ethiopia and Fr. Michael was a participant.  He was imprisoned when the Derg took over the government and killed Selassie.  He was in prison for quite a while and tortured while he was there.  I can’t imagine what information they thought they would get from a priest, but he had large burn marks on his arms which is why even in the hottest of summers, he would still be wearing a long sleeved shirt.  (He would sometimes wear short sleeves in his room and I saw/and talked to him one of those days in the hall on the way from the bathroom.) He was scheduled for execution, but that was apparently not done in the prison which I believe was in Addis Ababa.  As he was being transported to his execution he was smuggled into Egypt by a leader of the  Coptic church there whose name I cannot remember at the moment.  We used to talk about him as he had also sent participants to the ITI.  Fr. Michael did some healing in Egypt and we worked with our government and the church there to bring him to the US under the auspices of the Ecumenical Institute.  In spite of all the changes we went through as a community, he insisted on staying in the building.  His gratitude for our participation in his rescue was unlimited.I don’t know exactly when he became involved in building the Ethiopian Coptic congregation in the Chicago area.  For many years, they rented the chapel of the Evanston First United Methodist Church.  They outgrew the space and eventually purchased the church on the southside.  I met Ethiopian Methodists in Iowa that asked as soon as I mentioned that I had spent time in Chicago if I knew Fr. Michael.Father Michael and my dad hit it off immediately.  They were both global churchmen.  From their first meeting, there was never a time I came home to visit that Dad didn’t ask about Father Michael or Father Michael ask about my dad when I returned.  It was a bit as if they had looked into each other’s souls and found peace residing there.Sorry, Linda, but you asked and now I have run on far too long again.  Blessings, MargaretFrom: OE [mailto:oe-bounces at lists. wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of Lynda C via OE
Sent: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 1:03 PM
To: Order Ecumenical Community
Cc: Lynda C
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Fwd: Father Michael Taffesse  Margaret, what a heartfelt sharing!  We also experienced his special blessing when we told him about our adopted grandson Caleb from Ethiopia.  He kept asking us to say his name again, which we southerners pronounce as Kay lub.  He asked us to spell it and as we did, his eyes brightened and he said “ Ah,  Ca’ Lib” (Cah’lib), and told us that Caleb was one of the first disciples.   So we share your delight in that memory of the connection of importance of one’s name.  He was a special presence and so revered and loved by his congregation.    Please tell us more about Father Michael.  I know very little of history, other than he was in danger.  I will not be bored.    Journey On, Father Michael!    From: OE <oe-bounces at lists.wedgeblade. net> on behalf of OE List <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
Reply-To: OE List <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 1:50 PM
To: OE List <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
Cc: Margaret Aiseayew <aiseayew at netins.net>
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Fwd: Father Michael Taffesse  Dear colleagues,When we were assigned back to Chicago from Rome, we were housed next to Father Michael.  Naomi was just a year old, but she had risen to her feet three months earlier to chase her sister.  When she walked down the hallway, she looked like a gyroscope on a loose string.  I have so many images from that year of Father Michael going down the hall behind her, bent over with both hands outstretched to catch her if she fell.  I always felt that a part of our deep friendship was that my daughters were named Esther and Naomi.  Their names had given me great credibility in his eyes.I remember the privilege of walking around uptown with Father Michael and having to stop sometimes two or three times as we went to a community meeting so he could bless parishioners coming our way.  Father Michael’s driving skills were legendarily poor.  When we completed the new parking lot, I went out and painted his name on the stopper for the first parking spot to the left.  (Those to the right were not angled to be as helpful.)  I have always hoped that this ended his accidents in the parking lot.  I took great grief from many of our tenants at that time for giving him the only reserved space.  When I reminded them of his driving skills they usually got off my back.One day Fr. Michael came into the building with some of his parishioners and I was cleaning the floor of the elevator on my knees.  I told them they were welcome to come in and go up to his floor.  Fr. Michael introduced me to them as the mother of his first Naomi.  One of the parish members with him also had a daughter named Naomi.Fr. Michael also came to Naomi and Colin’s wedding and participated in the baptism of Austin that day with the Ethiopian cross he had given the minister of their ceremony.  It was used to sprinkle him in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  He had given it sharing the story that it was from his local church there and they had given it to him the last time he had been home before he left for his full orders.  I believe he said he was 17 at that time.I feel as if I could go on and on and I do not want to bore you.  I was simply concerned that some of us may not have known him as well as others.  Personally, it is a bit as if my father has died again.Emmanuel, Margaret Aiseayew Fwd: Father Michael Taffesse  
 Hello Colleagues, Regretfully, I am informing you that Father Michael Taffesse, a longtime resident of the ICA community and colleague passed away Sunday morning.  He will be greatly missed. His services are this Saturday March 10th . Mass is being held at 9805 South Commercial Ave. Chicago, IL at 7am with visitation until noon.  As more information presents itself, I will email it to you. I will be paying my respects and invite anyone who would like to pay theirs a ride with me. If you would like to ride along please let me know at your earliest convenience.  And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, saying the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work; for their good deeds follow them!’ Revelation 14:13  Best Regards,Lesley  Lesley ShowersProperty ManagerICA-USAEcumenical Institute4750 N. Sheridan Rd.Chicago, IL 60640(773) 769-6363 P(773) 944-1257 F 
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