Let's face it, a lot of people's minds drift to football, or Sunday dinner when they should in fact be listening to the minister preach in church on Sunday.

But now the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in St. George's has come up with a solution to this problem.

In this church, if your eyes drift from the minister at the front, chances are they come to rest on vivid pictorial depictions of Bible stories, known as icons, which are common in Ethiopian Orthodox churches.

"Icons are windows to heaven," said Rev. Kes Paulos, otherwise known as Kevin Goater.

"If Abba (the priest) is preaching and someone strays from what is being said, he can look at the icon and be brought right back to what Abba is saying. The church is holy. The church is not a place of conversation; it is a place of worship only, and for prayer, and to perform the sacraments."

Rev. Paulos said the church in Bermuda had the privilege of hiring one of the best icon artists from the Horn of Africa, Abba Gebre Hiwot Wolde Samuel.

The 42-year-old monk was born in Axum, Tigray province, Ethiopia, in a small village in the Temben District.

At the age of eight his parents took him to a nearby school for the priesthood to study to become a deacon.

"It wasn't hard to be left," Abba Samuel told The Royal Gazette. "I was there to learn."

His parents intended for him to study to the level that he would become a married priest. But the young, Abba Gebre Hiwot had other ideas. He decided at a very young age that he would become a monk priest, dedicating his life to the church.

His decision concerned his family a great deal. "The entire family cried for many days because they wanted me to become a married priest but I would not change my mind," he said.

For five years there was no contact with his family while he studied at a monastery. He was ordained as a monk at 15 years old.

"I chose to become a monk priest because I enjoyed the sincerity of the work involved," he said.

He explained that there was a certain tranquility, and he felt closer to God when he was feeding the poor and the hungry.

In 1977, he went to Bahir Dar in Gojjam, to study religious art for a year.

While in Bahir Dar he was able to put together a small art gallery for his paintings which he sold to the village people to help to cover his living expenses.

He stayed in the church monastery for four years as an assistant to Archbishop Abuna Makarios. Abba Gebre Hiwot was in charge of provisions and supplies, made religious vestments and carpets from fibre, built dwelling places for the monks, bound scriptures and painted a large number of icons and other related works. He also served as secretary and accountant to the monastery.

Abba Gebre Hiwot then moved to another monastery in Gojjam, Gedame Tekle Haimanot, where he was in charge of the ministry of "megabe" which is giving food to the poor and hungry who live in the church grounds.

After teaming up with a friend, they were contracted to paint religious murals for 11 churches in the Gojjam area.

He did this for seven years and then went to Addis Abba, the capital of Ethiopia.

While there he was selected to travel to Barbados with six other Ethiopian Orthodox priests.

"I spoke very little English, but I vowed to learn as soon as possible," he said.

In 1999 he was sent to Bermuda upon request to paint for the church.

After two years he moved on to the United States where he worked on icons for St. Giorgis Church in Washington, DC and Ganet Mehane Alem in Maryland.

He has now returned to Bermuda. He will go home for three months, and then return to take up an extended residence here.

"The icons gives an indication of the life of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," said Rev. Paulos.

The icons look at the birth and baptism of Christ, his being tempted by the Devil, his resurrection and ascension to heaven.

The icons that Abba Gebre Hiwot is currently working on will be about the Twelve Apostles.

"It will be about their life and dedication to the church," said Rev. Paulos.

Abba Gebre Hiwot said he particularly admired St. Paul.

"Paul was considered in the Bible the least of the apostles because he prosecuted the church," said Rev. Paulos. "But Paul became a good messenger and healer of the sick."

The icons are painted in a combination of acrylics and oil paints.

The Bermuda humidity does complicate the paintings. Fans are needed to keep the paintings cool in the summer time.

Rev. Paulos is hoping that the icons will be finished in time for the Ethiopian Orthodox Church New Year on September 11.

"At New Year's we celebrate the new life," said Rev. Paulos. "The Patriarch in Ethiopia would normally come out and give blessings, and the members would come out and give gifts. The gifts would represent their devotion to the church."

The special service is on September 13 at 9.30 a.m. and will be followed by a celebration. The public is invited to attend.

The church welcomes visitors who would like to see the icons, or who seek spiritual guidance, prayers or confession from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, contact Rev. Paulos at 333-1386.