Vatican elevates Church of Our Lady of Arabia, Ahmadi to Minor Basilica

The Church of Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi witnessed a solemn and historic religious celebration on Sunday as it was officially elevated to the status of a “Minor Basilica,” marking a significant milestone for the Catholic community in Kuwait and the wider Arabian Peninsula.

The ceremony was attended by Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs Ambassador H.E. Sadiq Marafi, alongside a large number of Arab and European ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, Christian clergy from various denominations and Gulf countries, as well as hundreds of Kuwaiti citizens and residents.

Speaking during the celebration, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed his joy at what he described as a “blessed historic day,” emphasizing that the elevation of the church goes beyond honoring a physical structure.

Rather, he said, it represents recognition of a living journey of faith that has extended over decades, reflecting the enduring spiritual presence and mission of the Church across the Arabian Peninsula.

Cardinal Parolin noted that since its establishment, the church has been closely linked to the history of communities of believers, particularly migrant workers who arrived in Kuwait in the mid-20th century and played a role in the country’s development.

He said these communities brought with them their faith and devotion to the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Arabia, which became deeply rooted in the life of the church.

He added that the church, over the years has grown into a spiritual refuge, a house of prayer, and a source of hope and consolation for countless worshippers.

The designation as a Minor Basilica, he explained, is also an invitation for believers to become “living stones” in the spiritual edifice of the Church, stressing that its true greatness lies not in the beauty of its walls, but in a living faith grounded in love and the daily practice of Gospel values.

The permanent Our Lady of Arabia Church in Ahmadi, Kuwait, was inaugurated and consecrated in April 1956, succeeding a temporary chapel established there in 1948.

Its construction was supported by the Kuwait Oil Company to serve the growing Catholic migrant community, with the cornerstone laid on September 8, 1955, and the church dedicated to Our Lady of Arabia, St. Elias, and St. Thérèse.

Key dates in the history of the church:

December 8, 1948 — A temporary chapel in a former power station was blessed, marking the beginning of the devotion to Our Lady of Arabia in Ahmadi.

September 8, 1955 — The cornerstone for the new, permanent church was laid.

April 1956 — The new church was inaugurated and consecrated.

2025 — Pope Francis elevated the church to the status of a Minor Basilica, making it the first in the Arabian Peninsula.

Formerly known as the Our Lady of Arabia Parish, is now the Catholic Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Arabia, in Al Ahmadi, Kuwait.

It is the oldest Catholic church in Kuwait and is widely regarded as the “mother church” of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia. It was the first church in the Arabian Peninsula to be raised to the status of minor basilica.

The site where the church sits on today was formerly a nissen hut that housed a power station, was converted to a temporary chapel and was blessed on 8 December 1948.

Bishop Ubaldo Teofano Stella sought to build a permanent church for the growing Catholic community and with the help of the Kuwait Oil Company, permission was granted for a new stone church in central Al Ahmadi.

The cornerstone of the church, laid on 8 September 1955, was taken from the ruins of the medieval Church of the Assumption at Aylesford, Kent, linked to the Carmelite Order and earlier blessed by Pope Pius XII in 1952.

It was the first Catholic church in Kuwait and has become known as the “mother church” of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia.