TBK Tells - Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral , Awali, Bahrain

                     Thanks to Chester for sending the calendar artwork

Back in September 2021 I showcased the small tiny Awali Church of 2010 and the new Catholic Cathedral being built on the edge of Awali in 2021. This was in my 2021 Calendar where I looked back on how things had changed in Awali over my 11 years there.

Then in December 2021 I read that the King was opening the new Cathedral on 9th December and that the first service was on 10 December. I read on Facebook that the new cathedral was only just down the road from my friends Barbara and Gherda, so I thought I would go back and take a look when I had my PCR test on 13.12.21

I also found this rather long video which shows the building of the Cathedral and its consecration on You Tube

Consecration of Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral - Awali, Bahrain - YouTube

I discovered its not at the end of Barbara's road but actually outside the Awali Boundary and you have to drive towards the First Oil well to get into it. The building is very impressive and so much larger than the old church. My congratulations to all those who raised funds for the cathedral. Although I am not a practicing catholic I attended two fundraising events and happily ate breakfast in the sun with my friends and had Halo Halo to raise money!

You can see my shorter Vlog from the cathedral by clicking on the embedded image below

                   The imposing entrance to the new Cathedral

Many people have asked what I will miss most about Awali and Bahrain and this Cathedral represents a lot of those things to me, hence this blog.

First the generosity of King Hamad in donating the land, and second the religious tolerance in Bahrain where the Catholic Church, Hindu temple and more exist alongside the followers of Islam. This is not the case in other GCC countries and that is why people come to the Catholic Cathedral in Bahrain from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Only UAE have a range of Hindu and Buddhist temples in Dubai.

                          

                                                  The altar
 

Next is the way the people come together to support religion , through numerous family days and other events in the Basketball court next to the old Awali Church to raise funds over many years to build the Cathedral. 

Now the dream is a reality and the services have started:

The landscape of Awali has changed over the decades - see my Blog on Awali  

https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2021/06/my-home-in-bahrain-for-11-years.html 

 My friend Steve Lever, Bapco's archivist , also made an excellent video for the Awali Teenagers showing the history of the town which is on You Tube 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTmsO3Wt2OE

From a bustling mainly American occupied Oil town back in the 1940's , to a happy place where so many teenagers grew up in the 1970's to 2010. Then it declined a little as the older expats retired, the old clubs ( and bars)  closed down (ARTS, Photography, sailing,  The Rifle club etc. ) and finally Awali Hall was turned into Building B of the Oil & Gas Academy. Now it has been turned back into Awali hall! Building B has now moved to Petex.

    The amazing roof of Our Lady of Arabia Cathedral, just down Barbera's road 

Now in 2021 more than 20 old houses have been refurbished by the Corporate Services team . The FLY Residences at Zallaq which was used to accommodate the Awali overspill are being emptied and all expat Bapco employees are being relocated to Awali. The hospital has been extended again with new physio facilities and the COV 19 isolation rooms should be open next year(better late than never) . The Bapco club has been refurbished and much landscaping has taken place around Awali . The King has established a massive new cardiac hospital, a huge Mosque, the west Awali houses for his staff, houses for the Cathedral staff, and even the old Water tanks on the hill have been given a lick of paint. 

 

                                The gallery and the beautiful pictures

The age mix has changed ( younger and teenage kids are back) as has the cultural mix ( Lots more Indians, some more Phillipino's, and what ever the collective term is for South Africans!) . The 400 houses are full, new houses are being built and its a very happy thriving community again. 

                          The new cathedral from the car park

Perhaps one day someone will volunteer to organise Splash Gala's, Halloween parties, and the like! Maybe there will even be GBBF2! Who knows, but sadly I will not be there!

What I do know for certain is that everyone who ever lived in Awali will never ever forget this special place.