In Minnesota, Ethiopians hold their six hour service at the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
The community has around 500 members.
For the chairman, Abebe Abetew, the church plays an important role in making members feel at home in their adopted country.
“We say this church is very important for the community because the people, they see, the dress, they see the picture they see and everything they smell. And it looks like they how they used to. So that’s very important. Then they feel at least one one day in a week feeling they living in their home,” he says.
Rev. Lucio Berumen of the Indian Lake Baptist Church says the church has a history of welcoming people of various different nationalities.
“This church have 150 years old, they celebrated last year the 150th anniversary. It started as a Swedish Baptist church. Then the Swedish started speaking in English. And then now the Karen, you know, arrive. And then now they have a Mexican pastor. So anyway, so it’s a little cultural here,” Berumen says.
Staff at St Mary’s Catholic church are seeking to connect Latino and mainly white communities who sometimes have different ways of worshipping.
The Rev. Miguel Proaños, Parochial Vicar, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, says, “they have very different styles. Nevertheless, we look for activities that might unite us.”
These and other churches are aiming to champion and welcome people of many different cultures, and make them feel at home.
Source: Africanews
