Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI
Friday, 1 August 2025
Avona
Ahmadi (Agenzia Fides) – “This historic recognition by the Holy See is not only a great honor for our Vicariate, but a profound affirmation of the living faith of our people in the Arabian Peninsula.” Bishop Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T., Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, welcomes with joy the news of the elevation of the parish church of Our Lady of Arabia (OLA) in Ahmadi to a Minor Basilica. With this new designation, it will now be officially known as the Basilica Minor Dominae Nostrae de Arabia.“The title, granted by Pope Leo XIV in a decree promulgated by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, highlights the deep Marian devotion that animates our parishes and communities, despite the many challenges we face in the region.” This historic designation, the first of its kind in the Arabian Peninsula, underscores the Ahmadi’s Church profound spiritual and pastoral significance for the Catholic faithful in the region. “May this new title inspire us to ever walk more faithfully with the Blessed Virgin Mary, under her maternal protection and in communion with the Holy Father and the Universal Church.”The decree follows a formal petition submitted by Bishop Berardi, who early on recognized the church’s unique and prominent place in the spiritual life of the Catholic faithful in Kuwait and throughout the Arabian Peninsula. This designation marks an important milestone in his episcopal ministry and reflects the vitality and continued growth of the Catholic Church in the Gulf. It is also the fruits of the pastoral work of the clergy and Parish Council of OLA Ahmadi. The documentation prepared by Rev. Father Roswin Redento Agnelo Pires, OFM Cap., and his team was essential in the decision.The title of Minor Basilica is conferred by the Holy Father on churches of particular importance in liturgical and pastoral life, distinguished for their historical, spiritual, and architectural merit. It enjoys a special bond with the See of Rome and the Pope.OLA, also known as “the Mother Church,” was the first Catholic church in Kuwait and celebrated its 75th anniversary (1948-2023) in 2023. Its origins date back to the dedication of a modest chapel in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8, 1948. The present church was subsequently constructed in 1957 by the Kuwait Oil Company to serve the spiritual needs of its growing expatriate Catholic workforce (see Fides, 12/4/2024).The church houses the original statue of Our Lady of Arabia, which was blessed in Rome by Pope Pius XII in 1949. The same statue was solemnly crowned on January 16, 2011, by Antonio Cardinal Cañizares Llovera, on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI, a rare distinction that marked the church as a Marian shrine of particular importance. Our Lady of Arabia was later proclaimed Principal Patroness of the Gulf, encompassing both Apostolic Vicariates of the Arabian Peninsula.Over the decades, the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Arabia became a spiritual home and symbol of unity for Catholics in Kuwait and throughout the Gulf. It has consistently drawn pilgrims and devotees from across the region, standing as a beacon of faith and center of Marian devotion amid a vibrant and diverse Catholic population. The church’s elevation affirms the Vicariate’s deep and enduring devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary and highlights the region’s spiritual closeness to the Holy Father. This represents a recognition by the Holy See of the vibrant Marian spirituality that flourishes in the Gulf, despite the challenges of being a religious minority. The date of the solemn celebration of the proclamation of the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Arabia will be announced in due course. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 1/8/2025)
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