Manama: The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manama, the oldest Catholic church in the Arabian Peninsula outside Yemen, will be officially designated as the Vicarial Shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in celebration of its 85th anniversary.
A Pontifical Mass to mark this historic occasion will be celebrated on November 8, 2025, by Bishop Aldo Berardi O.SS.T., Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia. The event is expected to draw clergy, faithful, and representatives from Bahrain’s diverse religious and cultural communities, highlighting the country’s long-standing tradition of religious coexistence.
The Sacred Heart Church, a spiritual home for thousands of Catholics across Bahrain and the Gulf, traces its origins to 1939, when His Highness Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the then Amir of Bahrain and grandfather of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, generously granted a plot of land for the construction of a Catholic church. This historic gesture has long stood as a symbol of mutual respect and interreligious harmony between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Catholic community.
Following the donation, Monsignor Giovanni Battista Tirinnanzi, a Capuchin Bishop and Apostolic Vicar of Arabia, entrusted Fr. Luigi Magliacani, a Capuchin from Tuscany, Italy, with building the church. The foundation stone was laid on June 9, 1939, and within months, the church, a residence for priests, and a small school were completed.
The church bells first rang on Christmas Eve 1939, and the church was blessed on March 3, 1940, by Monsignor Tirinnanzi. Since then, the Sacred Heart Catholic Church has served as the Mother Church for Catholics throughout Bahrain and the wider Gulf region.
As the parish commemorates 85 years of faith and service, its elevation to a Vicarial Shrine marks a new era of spiritual renewal and unity for Catholics in the region. The shrine designation also affirms the church’s enduring role as a beacon of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a central aspect of Catholic spirituality.
Bishop Berardi announced that a Rector of the Shrine will be appointed to oversee the church’s pastoral mission, preserve its rich heritage, and foster deeper devotion to the Sacred Heart.
The official decree establishing the Sacred Heart Catholic Church as a Vicarial Shrine will take effect on November 1, 2025.