Goan community bids farewell to Archbishop Nugent
Kuwait’s Goan community celebrates Archbishop Nugent’s years of friendship, pastoral care and fellowship as he prepares for new mission in Czech Republic
The Times Kuwait Report
Members of the Goan Cultural Centre gathered last week to bid farewell to the Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, who is preparing to take up his new assignment as Apostolic Nuncio to the Czech Republic.
The gathering brought together community leaders, families and members who came to express their gratitude for Archbishop Nugent’s warmth, accessibility and personal engagement during his years in Kuwait.
Archbishop Nugent has served in the Gulf since January 2021 and, during that time, became a familiar and approachable figure within Kuwait’s Christian community. While his diplomatic and pastoral responsibilities were central to his mission, his engagement extended well beyond formal duties.
Community members remembered him for his willingness to meet people, attend community occasions, pray with them and build friendships across cultural and social boundaries.
The evening opened with a prayer led by Rev. Fr. Nelson Lobo, setting a reflective tone for a gathering centred on faith, gratitude and memories. Community leaders Floyd Paise, Lana de Mello, Rabin Gonsalves, Dr Jaganath Chodankar and Reaven D’Souza were among those who paid tribute to the Archbishop, highlighting his pastoral care and close engagement with the Goan community.
Carmo Santos, President of the Goan Cultural Centre and organiser of the farewell, presented Archbishop Nugent with a memento and thanked him for his friendship, encouragement and kindness.
Santos said the Archbishop’s contribution could not be measured only by his official responsibilities as the representative of the Holy See in the Gulf. It was his openness and ability to establish genuine personal relationships that had left a lasting impression on the community.
The farewell also highlighted the strong connection between Goan identity, faith and culture. Cultural performances by community members, including children and young performers, added a lively and personal touch to the evening.
Responding to the tributes, Archbishop Nugent thanked the Goan community for its friendship and support throughout his years in Kuwait. Speaking with the warmth and humility that had become familiar to those who knew him, he reflected on the many memories he would carry with him from meeting community members and participating in important occasions to sharing moments of prayer and fellowship.
Archbishop Nugent also noted that, despite his years in Kuwait, he had never had the opportunity to visit Goa. He expressed the hope that he would be able to make the journey in the future.
For the Goan community, the possibility of that future visit provided an appropriate reminder that the farewell was not necessarily an ending. Santos offered prayers for the Archbishop’s new mission, invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit and Our Lady of Arabia and wishing him continued success in building bridges and strengthening relationships in the Czech Republic.
The evening concluded with a thanksgiving prayer, musical performances and a fellowship dinner, allowing members of the community to spend a final few hours with the outgoing Apostolic Nuncio before his departure.
As Archbishop Nugent prepares to leave the Gulf for his new assignment, the Goan community chose to focus not on the sadness of parting, but on the friendships, memories and goodwill built during his years in Kuwait.
For Kuwait’s Goan community, the farewell to Archbishop Eugene Martin Nugent was less about saying goodbye and more about celebrating a friendship built over years of shared faith, fellowship and community life. The message from the community was simple and heartfelt: Until we meet again.
