One of the region’s oldest churches will be officially designated as the Vicarial Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus following a decree that takes effect today.
The announcement – coinciding with the Sacred Heart Catholic Church’s 85th anniversary – was made during a Press conference presided by the Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia Bishop Aldo Berardi, Sacred Heart Catholic Church parish priest Francis Joseph and other clergy and church members on Thursday.
A shrine is a place regarded as holy because of its associations with a divinity or a sacred person or relic, marked by a building or other construction.
“As a vicariate shrine, the church will become a centre for pilgrimage,” Bishop Berardi, who oversees the territories of Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, said.
“Through this recognition, we hope to strengthen every pilgrim’s spiritual journey and further the church’s presence and mission in the region.”
The declaration of the church as a shrine will be commemorated with a solemn mass in English on November 8, which will be followed by a cultural programme on November 27. The event will be attended by government officials, ambassadors and religious leaders, offering a historical overview of the structure.
“We are profoundly grateful for the spirit of hospitality and friendship that defines Middle Eastern culture,” Bishop Berardi added.
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