Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia


The Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia is a Catholic apostolic vicariate with official seat in Bahrain.
It is exempt, i.e. directly subject to the Holy See and its Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, not part of any ecclesiastical province.
Its cathedral episcopal see is the Holy Family Cathedral, in Kuwait City, capital of Kuwait. The most recent Ordinary of the vicariate is the Italian titular bishop Camillo Ballin, a member of the Comboni Missionaries, who died on April 12, 2020.

Statistics

It covers the peninsular Arabian countries of : Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, although there are no churches on Saudi territory.
As per 2015, it pastorally served 2,553,945 Catholics ) on 2,179,846 km² in 11 parishes with 54 priests, 2 deacons and 61 lay religious and a seminarian.

History

In January 2011, Pope Benedict XVI through the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments declared the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Arabia patroness of the Northern Vicariate.
In August 2012, it was decided to transfer the headquarters of the vicariate from Kuwait to Bahrain, which is in the centre of the vicariate. Another reason for the transfer was that Bahrain had a more permissive visa policy.

Episcopal ordinaries

;Apostolic Prefect of Kuwait
;Apostolic Vicars of Kuwait
  1. Ubaldo Teofano Stella, O.C.D. , Titular Bishop of Antæopolis
  2. Victor León Esteban San Miguel y Erce, O.C.D. , Titular Bishop of Rusubbicari ; initially as Apostolic Administrator 1966.03.17 – 1976.05.31
  3. Francis George Adeodatus Micallef, O.C.D. , Titular Bishop of Tinisa in Proconsulari
  4. Camillo Ballin, Combonian Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus , Titular Bishop of Arna
;Apostolic Vicars of Northern Arabia''
  1. Camillo Ballin, M.C.C.I..

    Parishes

The proposal of coat of arms created by Marek Sobola, a heraldic artist from Slovakia. The colors of the new coat of arms are derived from the national colors of the states, which are incorporated into the Vicariate – Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The letter "M" is the symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title Our Lady of Arabia as patron saint of the Northern Vicariate.