By Pradeep Puravankara. TDT I Manama The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bahrain, known as the Mother Church of the Gulf region, has reached a significant milestone in its 85-year history. During a Mass presided over by Bishop Aldo Berardi OST, the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, the church was decl
TDT I Manama
The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Bahrain, known as the Mother Church of the Gulf region, has reached a significant milestone in its 85-year history. During a Mass presided over by Bishop Aldo Berardi OST, the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia, the church was declared a "Vicariate of the Sacred Heart of Jesus". This declaration elevates the church to a spiritual pilgrimage center for the entire North Arabian Vicariate, which encompasses the countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. This historic move makes it the first church in the Gulf region to be converted into such a center, offering pilgrims a vital opportunity to deepen their devotion to the Sacred Heart and strengthen their journey of faith.
In conjunction with the announcement, the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Church, Rev. Francis Joseph OFM Cap, was appointed as the First Rector of this new Vicariate Shrine.
This important milestone strengthens the presence and mission of the Catholic Church in the region. As this church, which has offered spiritual shelter to thousands of believers for 85 years, now becomes a pilgrimage center, it is expected to spread the infinite love of the Sacred Heart to an even wider audience.
