GOLDEN JUBILEE
OF THE FOUNDING OF THE VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF KUWAIT

The Psalms 112 to 117 and again 135, begin with the word "Allelujah", "Hallel" in Hebrew. They are songs of joy and thanksgiving that recount in detail the great deeds of God toward his chosen people at various points of their history. They were sung at various solemnities and especially at the paschal meal.

I think they are most fitting to set the tone of our celebration this evening:

Alleluia! O give thanks to the Lord
for he is good,
for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his love endures for ever.
To the God of heaven give thanks,
for his love endures for ever.

We, too, are joyfully assembled to give thanks to God as we recount his blessing in the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait, for we believe, as our fathers of old, that it is the Lord "who carried us on eagle wings and brought us here to himself" (First Reading, Ex 19:4).

In response to the command of the Lord Jesus to "go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation" (Mk 16:15), the apostles and the early disciples became his witnesses "not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria and indeed to the ends of the earth" (Ac 1:8), giving birth everywhere to new communities of believers. The Acts of the Apostles and the Letters of Saint Paul tell us of the astonishing growth and fervor of such communities that, although distant in space from one another and frequently under brutal persecution, professed the same faith and nurtured the same hope by the prayerful reading of Scripture and the breaking of the one Eucharistic bread, by maintaining and strengthening the bonds of mutual love in obedience to the bishops and presbyters whom the Lord had chosen to guide them. We know the names of many of these first Christian communities, we are familiar with their joys and their struggles: Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, etc., all distinct and yet all one in the only one Church, the Body of Christ. Their strength was - and it will always be for any community that calls itself Church - to remain in God's love, to stay united to the Lord and to each other in the same way as "the vine and the branches" (Gospel Reading, Jn 15:5). They shared the certainty of having been called to be God's family, gathered by the Holy Spirit through the saving sacrifice of Jesus into the loving embrace of God the Father.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures for ever.

In the course of time, such particular Churches came to be called dioceses, retaining the identical character of the early days: a portion of the people of God, made one under the guidance of a Bishop by the sharing of the Word of God and of the Eucharist. Almost two thousand years later, we still define a diocese exactly in these terms: "a portion of the people of God, which is entrusted to a Bishop to be nurtured by him, with the cooperation of the presbyterium, in such a way that remaining close to its pastor and gathered by him through the Gospel and the Eucharist in the Holy Spirit, it constitutes a particular Church. In this Church, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ truly exists and functions." (CIC can 369).

There are at times, special circumstances that prevent the establishment of a particular Church into a diocese, first among them the absence of an indigenous resident Catholic population and of native clergy, or historical, social or political conditions. In such cases the particular Church, rather than into a diocese, is erected into an Apostolic Vicariate. That is what happened on 2 December 1954, exactly fifty years ago, with the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait. The only juridical distinction of an Apostolic Vicariate is that its real Bishop is the Holy Father the Pope, who appoints a bishop to act with full powers in his stead as his Vicar, hence the title of Apostolic Vicar. (CIC can 371). In a way, the people of God in an Apostolic Vicariate are even closer to the person and the ministry of the Successor of Peter, sign and instrument of the global unity of charity that is the Church. As the personal representative of His Holiness Pope John Paul II to the Church and the State of Kuwait, it is my privilege to convey to you his fatherly felicitations and to impart his blessing, as I will do in a solemn form at the end of this Mass.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures for ever.

During the period of the last fifty years the number of the people of God who form the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait has greatly increased: from the initial few hundreds to a few thousands and presently to well over one hundred thousand.

The richness of the Christian faith that all the expatriates have brought to this Vicariate is manifested by the attractive and precious heritage of so many cultural traditions: they come from the East and the West, from the North and the South, and they are bound by the command of Saint Paul to the early Christians: "Bear with one another charitably, in complete selflessness, gentleness and patience. Do all you can to preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds you together. There is one Body, one Spirit, just as you were all called into one and the same hope when you were called. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is Father of all, over all, through all and within all." (Eph 4: 1-6).

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures for ever.

During the last fifty years the Holy Father the Pope chose three men to be his Vicars in Kuwait: three outstanding servants of God and of his people. To them we pay this evening a well deserved homage of gratitude and admiration.

Bishop Teofano Ubaldo Stella, the first Apostolic Vicar from 1955 to 1966, who can be called the founder and father of the Kuwait Catholic community; Bishop Victor Léon Esteban San Miguel y Erce, from 1966 to 1981; and our beloved Bishop Francis George Adeodatus Micallef, from 1981 to the present. The three Apostolic Vicars not only have been the creators of the outstanding physical facilities that we admire and enjoy, but above all they dedicated their energies and gifts to the building of our community into a temple of the Lord made of living stones. "They sowed bountifully and by God's grace, they reaped bountifully" (Second Reading, 2Cor 9:6).

We owe a special debt of thanks to the Order of Discalced Carmelites to whom the Holy See had entrusted the pastoral care of Kuwait since 1953. The Order has given to the Church in Kuwait not only the three beloved Bishops, but also a number of priests who, under their guidance, have ministered to the needs of thousands of faithful. It is a genuine joy to express in person our appreciation to the Most Reverend Superior General of the Discalced Carmelite present with us this evening. We remind ourselves of the words from the Letter to the Hebrews: "Remember your leaders, who preached the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be forever." (Heb 13:7-8).

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures for ever.

Under the fatherly guidance of its shepherds, the Catholic community of Kuwait has continued to grow not only in numbers. The precious presence of Religious Sisters, such as the Rosary Sisters and the Apostolic Carmel Sisters, has strengthened the Church in Kuwait through their teaching ministry, as also have, more recently, the Salesian Fathers of Don Bosco.

The devout participation in the celebration of the Eucharist is enhanced by the accurate services of the Eucharist ministers, of the Lectors, of the altar servers and of the choirs. Visitors to Kuwait often express admiration and even surprise at the genuine devotion of the large number of people who participate in our liturgical services and receive Holy Communion. Too numerous to be mentioned are the groups of prayer and Scripture studies that complement, at an adult level, the basic catechetical instruction of children, and the ritual and ethnic support groups, frequently engaged in practical works of mercy towards the sick and the needy. For this too we are grateful.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures for ever.

Our litany of thanks cannot fail to include the benevolence shown through the years to our Catholic community by the Ruling Family and the Government of the State of Kuwait. The consistent portion of Catholics among the foreign born population living and working in Kuwait has always shown due respect to the sovereignty and the laws of the host country and, in turn, it has enjoyed a considerable amount of freedom and tolerance in the practice of the faith. The Catholic community remembers with gratitude the attitudes of the Rulers of Kuwait in its regard, and cherishes in particular the memory of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah who, in the mid 50s, when approached by Bishop Stella, graciously granted the use of the land where this Cathedral now stands. We thank God, as we daily remember in our prayers the well-being of all the people of the State of Kuwait and of its Rulers.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures for ever.

Every segment of the Catholic Church shares the mark of being God's chosen people "engaged in a pilgrimage towards the eternal home of the Father". More particularly so is our Apostolic Vicariate, aptly described even geographically as "a Church pilgrim in the desert". It is not simply the physical aspect of the territory around us that speaks of desert. For us the thought of being God's people pilgrim in the desert, reminds us vividly of the experience of our forefathers in their journey to the Promised Land. Like them, we are called to trust God's wisdom and love even when the going gets very difficult and loneliness and gloom assail us. We heard in the first reading of this Mass how in the desert of Sinai the people asked Moses to bring to God their decision: "Everything the Lord has said, that we will do" (Ex 19:8).  Such must be our renewed pledge tonight and for the years to come. In God alone we trust and him we want to obey.

Kuwait's first Apostolic Vicar, Bishop Teofano Ubaldo Stella, was magnificently inspired when he chose to dedicate this Cathedral church to "the Holy Family Pilgrim in the Desert". We are today God's holy family pilgrim in the desert: we seek direction and strength from Jesus, from Mary his and our mother, from Joseph the faithful custodian and spouse, who themselves had experienced the trials of a desert journey. And thus we resolve to move forward "in joyful hope" toward the goal stated by our Christian vocation: to be one in and with Christ and with one another to the glory of God our Father.

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures for ever.

Amen. Alleluia!

VOTE OF THANKS BY H.L. BISHOP FRANCIS MICALLEF, VICAR APOSTOLIC OF KUWAIT

The Vicariate Apostolic of Kuwait was created by POPE PIUS XII through the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples ( Propagation of the Faith) separating the State of Kuwait from the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia created in June 1889, here highly represented by their Excellencies Bishop Bernard G. Gremoli and his Auxiliary Bishop Paul Hinder both from the Order of the Capuchin Friars. It was created and assigned to the care of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites exactly 50 years ago, this day.

The presence here of the Superior General of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites accounts for the number of priests of the Order who ministered and are ministering in this Vicariate. One of the very first resident Carmelite Priests in Kuwait is Fr. Herman Mizzi from Malta, presently a member of our Carmelite Community in Cairo, Egypt since many years.

Kuwait was the first of the Gulf States to establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican in 1969. Since the year 2000, the Nuncio (the Vatican Representative) resides in Kuwait who is present here this evening, Archbishop Giuseppe de Andrea who rather recently was appointed also Nuncio to Bahrain, Yemen, Qatar and Apostolic Delegate for the Arabian Peninsula. I take this occasion to thank him for the valid support he has been constantly giving to the Church in the Gulf States and also for his priestly ministry. Due to his presence in this region, the Churches gained more respectful consideration from the part of the Civil Authorities.

The presence here this evening of Pastors representing the Christian Churches of other denominations is a proof and a witness to the ongoing ecumenical fellowship among the Christian Churches. Only recently we signed the statutes(constitution) of the Christian Churches Fellowship in Kuwait.

I welcome and thank the American Military Chaplains who wanted to be with us this evening.

I now come to the Sisters: The Rosary Sisters and the Apostolic Carmel Sisters. Their presence in Kuwait and their work in the educational sector through their schools, and their involvement in the Church's activities are a valid contribution to the life of our community for which I thank them. In this context, I want to also thank the Don Bosco Priests for what they are doing in the educational field and for their priestly ministry.

I want to also mention the other Sisters who had worked in Kuwait, but have now left Kuwait. The Chaldean Sisters, Daughters of the Immaculate Conception from Iraq, who ran the Al-Amal School, the Sisters of the Holy Family Congregation from India who worked as nurses in the Al-Hadi Clinic and the Carmelitas Misioneras from the Philippines, who worked in the Al-Mowasat Hospital. They deserve to be remembered today and commended for their presence, their witness and their dedicated Church's apostolate during their stay in Kuwait.

I thank the many Church groups operating in the Vicariate: committed men, women and youth who in close collaboration with me and the clergy help as well for the spiritual growth of our Catholic faithful, all workers in the Lord's vineyard: Prayer Groups(many), Legionaries of Mary , Choir Singers , Pastoral Helpers, Altar Servers, Catechism Teachers and many individuals.

As I was going through the Baptism and Marriage Registers, kept in the Ahmadi Church and in this City Church, to write down the names of those priests who ministered in the Vicariate of Kuwait throughout the years, I was feeling indebted to each and everyone of them for the hard work they did ( some for many years) with dedication and love. Spontaneously I remembered what St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God mode it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only GOD who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour. For we are God's fellow-workers; you are God's field, God's building." (1 Cor. 3:6-7)

I thank the Amir His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Crown Prince Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, his Cabinet Ministers and the Government Departments for their kind benevolence towards the Christians in Kuwait.

With a profound sense of gratitude therefore, in the name and on behalf of the Clergy in Kuwait and on behalf of our Catholic faithful in general, I thank GOD the Almighty for the many graces He has bestowed on the Churches in Kuwait. We ask Him to continue to bless our labours with abundant spiritual fruits for the consolidation and growth of His Kingdom in this part of the World. We place ourselves under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus, whom we invoke: "QUEEN OF ARABIA, PRAY FOR US."

VIEW ALL GREETINGS FROM OUR WELL WISHERS

ARTICLE FROM THE ARAB TIMES, DATED 4 DEC 2004

CATHOLIC CHURCH IN KUWAIT MARKS 50 YEARS

By Michelle Fe Santiago
Special to the Arab Times

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 3: It was a day of jubilation and thanksgiving - a perfect day of fruitful communion. Catholic expatriates joined on Thursday, Dec 2, in the celebration of 50 years of faith, hope and love as the Apostolic Vicariate of Kuwait marked its Golden Jubilee.

The event held at the Holy Family Cathedral commemorated the establishment of the Catholic Church in Kuwait as Apostolic Vicariate on Dec 2, 1954 by Pope Pius XII. People filled the Cathedral to witness the momentous celebration that started with a Pontifical Mass led by Bishop Francis Micallef, OCD, Apostolic Vicar of Kuwait.

The concelebrants included Archbishop Giuseppe De Andrea, Apostolic Nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen and Qatar and Apostolic Delegate for the Arabian Peninsula, Bishop Bernard Gremoli, Apostolic Vicar of Arabia, Auxiliary Bishop Paul Hinder of the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia, Rev. Fr. Luis Arostegui, Superior General of the Discalced Carmelites, Rev. Fr. Massimo Cenci, Rev. Fr. Anthony Bissett and the delegates from the Propaganda Fide, Vatican, Rome, Msgr. Arnaldo Catalan, First Secretary, Apostolic Nunciature in Kuwait, the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Vicariate Clergy and the U.S. Military Chaplains.

Among those present were some of the Pastors of the other Christian denominations in Kuwait, the Rosary Sisters and the Apostolic Carmel Sisters.

The melodious songs of the Jubilate Choir Ensemble filled the Cathedral, enhancing the ambiance for the grand celebration. The Catholic Church in Kuwait had its humble beginnings in 1945 when a priest from the Carmelite mission in Basra would regularly visit Kuwait to look after the spiritual needs of the Catholics here. From the first Mass celebrated in a tent in Magwa on Christmas Day in 1945 and the appointment of Rev. Fr. Teofano Ubaldo Stella, OCD, as the chaplain for Catholic personnel of the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) in 1948 to the declaration of the Catholic Church in Kuwait as Vicariate Apostolic in 1954, the Catholic flock continues to grow and has found a home away from home.

"It's a very joyful occasion because it marks 50 years when the community of Catholics in Kuwait was recognised in very close communion with the Holy See. We have close to 300,000 Catholics here, mostly expatriates from the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Middle East and everywhere. We are a vibrant and living Church because everyone brings a flavour, a new tone to our meetings, prayers and actions," said Archbishop De Andrea. He added that they are looking forward to the next 50 years, though, they will not be here to celebrate it., but they want to plant a seed for a fertile growth. "Growth of peace and harmony in the country in respect to all and what the Lord wants us to be, messengers, bringing the message of mercy, peace and justice all around," he added. He also thanked the Kuwait government led by H.H. the Amir for the religious freedom accorded to the Christian expatriates.

The Holy Mass was followed by a programme in celebration of the richness of the golden years of the Catholic Church in Kuwait. Students of Don Bosco's School performed an interpretative dance with the song, "The World's Greatest," essaying God's splendour as seen in all His creation like the mountains, skies, sun, natural resources and above all - man. Meanwhile, students of the Carmel School presented the song, "Golden the Streams" and the Filipino Catholic Community in Kuwait sang the heartwarming, "Living in Gold," an original composition of Rev. Fr. Windell Pastoriza. The song highlighted the 50 glorious years of the Catholic Church in Kuwait. Some of the guests delivered speeches of felicitation including Rev. Fr. Bissett, who read the message from Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

After the programme, Bishop Micallef and Bishop Gremoli led in the inauguration of the Christmas exhibit in the Church compound. The Filipino Kids' Choir sang Christmas carols as the exhibit was inaugurated and lit up. People could not help but marvel at the glittering, colourful lights of the manger that were made of indigenous materials. Christmas was indeed in the air with Christmas lights aglow and the cold wind whispering the joyous holiday season.

The celebration was capped by a thanksgiving dinner in the basement hall as everybody looks forward to more years of faith, hope and love with the Lord.

SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE EVENT by Winston Alphonso

Please click the thumbnails for a larger picture.






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