Bahrain

Bahrain opens largest Catholic church in Gulf region

His Majesty the King today inaugurated the largest Catholic church in the Gulf region – the Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Awali. It will be consecrated in front of a small congregation tomorrow, 10th December 2021.

The arkshaped structure will be able to accommodate 2,300 worshippers and is intended to serve as a reference point for the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and, formally, Saudi Arabia.

The Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral was built on 9,000 square metres plot of land that was donated by HM the King to the local Catholic community eight years ago.

Aside from the cathedral, the palm tree-lined complex features a multi-purpose building, a courtyard, and a two-story parking area.

The cathedral’s altar, baptistery, pews and other furnishings are crafted in Italy. The cathedral is topped with an octagonal dome, a deeply symbolic geometric detail that can be seen in a number of churches around the world such as the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy, and Germany’s Aachen Cathedral.

The inauguration of the cathedral follows HM King Hamad’s official invitation to the pope to visit Bahrain. Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, HM King’s Adviser for Diplomatic Affairs, personally delivered the invitation when he met Pope Francis and Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on Nov. 25.

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The Daily Tribune
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