We visited the the largest Roman Catholic Church of the Gulf- Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral in Bahrain recently. Read on to know more about this beautiful cathedral.
On December 9th the Catholic community of Bahrain celebrated a milestone. It was the inauguration of Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral- an eight year project carried out under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
This cathedral is the largest Roman Catholic Church in the Arabian peninsula. The donated 9000 square metres of land is indeed a grand gesture by the Bahrain Royal family towards strengthening dialogues between religions, cultures and civilizations.
Curious to see this new architectural beauty we visited the cathedral a few days ago.
- Location– Awali (Take the Zallaq highway and the first left to reach the cathedral.)
- Visiting hours– 9 am – 12 pm and 4 pm – 8 pm (all days)
- Seating capacity– 2300 people
- Layout– Main assembly, 3 chapels -Chapel of Blessed Sacrament, Chapel of Our Lady of Arabia, Chapel of Confessionals, Balcony seating on the first floor.
Octagonal dome
The first thing that struck us as we approached the cathedral was its octagonal dome. Churches usually have pointed steeples or helmet domes or even onion domes like the Russian Orthodox Church. The onion dome is popularly believed to symbolize burning candles.
On reading about it I understood that the numbers 6, 7 and 8 have a great significance in biblical numerology. 6 represents evil , 7 represents perfection (7 days of creation) and 8 represents holiness (the first and the eighth day of the week being Sunday when the resurrection of Jesus took place).
The website of the cathedral explains this further-
“In counting Sunday twice, at the beginning and end of the week, the Fathers of the Church had wanted to say that Sunday, as the eighth day, is beyond the natural system of our universe and beyond our natural life. It was meant as a reminder that we have been created to live forever and for eternity!
The octagonal form of the Cathedral and its dome signify that those who enter are, for a time, entering into eternity, for they do so to meet God.
Likewise, the octagonal form is a reminder of the eight persons who were saved in Noah’s Ark, which is another Old Testament parallel of baptism. (1 Peter 3:20-21)”
Our Lady of Arabia
The name of the cathedral “Our Lady of Arabia” is a distinctive name and dedicated to patron saint (Holy Mother of God) Saint Mary. The title was approved in 1948, when a little chapel in Ahmadi, Kuwait was first dedicated in her honour.
Lady of Arabia meaning “Queen of Arabia” represents the honour that Catholic Christians bestow upon St Mary for her exceptional role in the work of our salvation. The cathedral also dedicates a chapel in her veneration at one of the four corners of the cathedral.
Icons of Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral Bahrain
As soon as we entered the cathedral we couldn’t help but admire the beautiful icons placed in the main hall. There are 16 icons in all that represent the mysteries of the Catholic faith.
These are – Jesus the Pantocrator, the Holy Trinity, the Annunciation, the Nativity of Jesus Christ, His baptism, the Transfiguration, the entry to Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the entombment of Jesus, His descent to the inferno, the Resurrection, the apparition to the Apostles, the Ascension, the Pentecost, and the death of the Virgin Mary.
Cross shaped baptismal font
Inside the cathedral, we saw the baptismal font right in front of the altar. Shaped as a cross, there are short steps leading down to a small vacant space. It signifies the burial and resurrection of man with Jesus during the sacrament of Holy Baptism.
This space at all other times is covered with glass. Apart from baptism it is also the place where the sacraments of Holy Communion, Holy Matrimony and funeral rites are conducted.
It is said that the Cathedral’s interiors look magnificent at different times of the day. When we arrived it was almost 4.00 pm when the sun had begun to descend. Maybe that’s why we found it a bit dark in the main hall.
A church, however, is a place of worship and fellowship- a sacred space that encourages its members to forget the world and focus on God. And for that purpose Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral Bahrain provides a beautiful environment.
May God bless and guide the priests and the members of this cathedral to carry out the work of God in the years to come.
May God bless His Majesty King Hamad bin Al Khalifa for making this happen.
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Hi! My name is Rubitah. I’m a Content Writer certified Life Coach, Counselor, Social Work professional and the Founder of Being Rubitah. Over the years through my professional and personal life, I have realized that prayers and love can do wonders to family life once you come to terms with yourself and surrender to God. Do you relate to me? Then you may like what I post here! Read more about me
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