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THE LARGEST Roman Catholic cathedral in the Arabian Peninsula may have had a damper put on its Christmas celebrations due to Covid-19 restrictions, but its unique art pieces and serene environment continue to attract as many as 1,000 visitors a day.
The Cathedral of Our Lady of Arabia in Awali, which opened earlier this month, features stunning Christian art created by Spanish artist Kiko Argüello, a crystal ball ornament atop a replica of a Vatican lamp post, an old-meets-new architectural design and lots more for the culturally and aesthetically inclined.
“The cathedral, which will be the spiritual centre of the Roman Catholic community in this vicariate of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, has a number of unique art pieces that were commissioned by the Vatican,” Father Saji Thomas, parish priest of Our Lady of Visitation Church Awali and the project head of the cathedral during its final stages of construction, told GulfWeekly during a tour of the BD5.5million-facility.
“There are 16 paintings created by Kiko Arguello showcasing the life of Jesus Christ, as well as 14 artworks depicting the 14 Stations of the Cross, which chronicles the suffering and persecution of Jesus.”
Walking in to the main hall, the paintings are arranged on the inside of an octagonal dome, which overlooks the crossing, transept and altar.
These were created by Kiko, who has previously painted huge murals like the 500-square-metre Glory of Christ Pantocrator, Resurrected mural in Piacenza and the Corona Misterica behind the altar of the Church of San Bartolomeo in Florence, Italy.
In front of the altar is a ‘walk-down’ immersion baptismal font, with four sets of stairs leading to the basin where new-born children will be baptised into Catholicism, usually within three months to a year of their birth.
“While there has been a lot of interest, we are still trying to determine the best way of conducting baptism in a safe and socially-distanced way,” Father Saji added.
A wing towards the left of the altar houses the patron saint of the church, Our Lady of Arabia, which is the Roman Catholic title of Virgin Mary holding a rosary as well as the child Jesus.
It was advocated by Pope Pius XII who authorised its devotion, while Pope John XXIII granted a Canonical Coronation to the venerated image in 1960 through Cardinal Valerian Gracias.
In 2011, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments proclaimed her Patroness of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.
In the wing to the right of the main hall lie eight confession rooms - four on each of the two accessible levels of the hall.
“We are still waiting for the confessional booths, which will allow members of our community to confess in confidentiality,” Father Saji explained.
“In the meantime, we are offering general absolution. Again, with this practice, we need to be cautious about Covid-19 guidelines, so we are working out a plan how to best do so, once we receive the booths.”
Towards the front of the main hall, behind the altar, at the head of the cathedral, sits the chancel and the ‘cathedra’ – the bishop’s throne.
The ‘cathedra’ has been vacant following the death of Italian Bishop Camillo Ballin who had championed the Bahrain project, after the idea was first proposed in 2011 when His Majesty King Hamad visited the Vatican.
“Next year, there will be again an Apostolic Vicar for Northern Arabia seated in Bahrain,” Father Saji added.
“In the meantime, Northern Arabia Apostolic Administrator Bishop Paul Hinder is overseeing the activities of the cathedral.”
The cathedral also houses a crystal orb ornament, stylised after a lamp post in Vatican City, the city-state surrounded by the Italian capital of Rome and headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.
The ornament is comprised of seven crystal balls, each inscribed in English and Arabic with a tenet of the cathedral – mercy, wisdom, hope, love, faith, charity and, at the centre, peace.
Father Saji and the team have yet to determine a final staging spot for the iconic piece, but for now, it rests in a separate hall, that will be used for meetings, events, Catechism lessons and even concerts.
In the meantime, preparations are underway for Christmas, which even while being a muted affair, is expected to attract 1,000 people – half the capacity of the 2,000+ hall.
Attendance for the Christmas Mass will only be open to registered invite-only Covid-19 vaccinated and recovered individuals.
