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The Vicariate of Arabia: A Historical Perspective

Christianity was widely spread among the tribes of the Arabian region during the first four centuries of the Christian era. But since the advent of Islam, the Christian presence in the Arabian Peninsula has been very limited and an ecclesiastical structure was established only by the year 1889. The Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia was first entrusted to the Servites of Mary and thereafter to the Capuchins. The Vicariate has gone through vicissitudes of every kind, including two civil wars, and still carries its age with vigour, characteristic of resilient institutions that are designed to endure. During the hundred and odd years of its existence, eight Apostolic Vicars (all Capuchins) and dozens of priests and nuns, have succeeded each other in the service of a region that was arid and barren in many ways. It has sought to further its delicate mission by constructing wherever possible, churches, orphanages, social service centres and schools.

Mission in Aden

The Mission in Aden extended beyond the British Protectorate, which comprised the peninsula of Aden, the isthmus and a small territory of the mainland. Fr. Pellegrino Serafini, the Apostolic Vice-Prefect arrived in Aden on May 28, 1841. Once Aden became independent of Bombay and had its own Governor, Fr. Serafini made a request to the authorities to have a church and a residence built for the mission, because the one he lived in was a hut. In the meantime, Fr. Serafini was joined by Fr. Bonajunta Foguet, who arrived in Aden on August 5, 1841. He immediately began studying the local language, as Fr. Serafini could minister in English. Hardly three years later, in 1844, Fr. Serafini was recalled to Italy, so Fr. Foguet who remained alone was nominated Vice-Prefect. Fr. Rabascall from the mission of Calcutta was sent to replace Fr. Serafini.

The two built a school and a small building to house the orphans of the military. Fr. Rabascall was soon recalled to India and was replaced by a Venetian, Fr. Marco Gradenigo on September 29, 1845. A year later, he took the place of Fr. Foguet, who had to resign from the mission for health reasons.

Fr. Marco constructed a small church dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, and worked zealously especially among the military garrisons. But he soon became a victim of illness and returned to Italy in 1848. In November 1851, the Mission of Aden was attached to the Apostolic Vicariate of Gallas and was entrusted to the care of Msgr. Massaja. He confided the mission to a priest from Genoa, Don Luigi Sturla. He worked with great zeal and together with Msgr. Massaja built a large church dedicated to the Holy Family, which exists today. For a time, the Capuchin Father, Leone Des Avanchera worked together with Don Sturla, then later left for the island of Seychelles. He was replaced for a short period by Fr. Augustine from Algiers, who was Secretary to Msgr. Massaja.

In 1854, the Propagation of Faith raised the Mission to an Apostolic Prefecture and Don Sturla was appointed Prefect. In 1856, however, he resigned from the Mission and left for Egypt. In 1857, the Mission was detached from Gallas and attached to Bombay under the jurisdiction of the Capuchin Bishop Msgr. Anastasius Hartmans. It lasted only for two years. In fact when the Capuchins left Bombay, Aden was again attached to the Vicariate of Gallas. Don Sturla was succeeded by the Capuchin Father Giovanal of Tortosa, a Spaniard of the French province who came from Bombay and was appointed Apostolic Prefect on April 11, 1858. He was assisted by Fr. Antonia. Helped by a good knowledge of the languages spoken in Aden, Fr. Giovanal contacted all the groups resident in the city and obtained from the Governor a small plot of land close to the harbour, at Steamer Point for the construc¬tion of a church and a burial ground for Catholics. He also thought that a school would be of great help for the mission and the Christian families. He thought of con¬fiding it to a congregation of sisters. For this reason, he went to France in 1863, but circumstances prevented his return.

His successor was Fr. Benedict from Iglesias whose assistant, Fr. Theophilus, was an Irish priest. In 1870, Fr. Alfonso Cianfanaeli from Macerata was nominated Prefect. He succeeded in opening the much desired school and entrusted it to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd of Cairo. But on August 6, 1871, Fr. Alfonso died during an epidemic and was succeeded by Fr. Luigi from Vezerone - the future Msgr. Lasserre.

Accomplishments of the Vicars Apostolic of Arabia

On June 4, 1886, Msgr. Luigi Lasserre, titular Bishop of Morocco was appointed Prefect Apostolic. He reorgan¬ized the school for girls and entrusted its management to the Franciscan Sisters of Calais. He built a school for boys, which was assigned to the Marist Brothers. He then obtained from the Governor a new plot in Steamer Point, which was used for the construc-tion of a beauti¬ful cathedral dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi. It was consecrated on June 26, 1892. Close to the cathedral, he built a large Bishop's house, still in good condition. Rome approved of the programme of the new Bishop and on May 4,1888 raised the Prefecture to an Apostolic Vicariate and entrusted it to the Capuchins of Lyons. On June 28, 1889, the small Vicariate of Aden became Vicariate of Aden became the VICARIATE APOSTOLIC OF ARABIA, comprising the whole of the Arabian peninsula and extending its boundaries up to Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt. It had lardly 15,000 Catholics among its 12 million inhabitants.

Mission at Assab

Having settled the affairs in Aden, Msgr. Lasserre took a special interest in the ritrean town of Assab. In 1886, he built a house where he sent three religious to stay. On September 13, 1894, the MISSION OF JESUS was entrusted to the Lazarist Fathers under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Prefecture of Eritrea.

Mission in Somalia

Msgr. Lasserre established a foothold in the British Somalia, which came under his jurisdiction on March 11, 1891. He made a minute inspection of the place and requested a plot of land for the Mission, which the British Government did not grant. Still, he assigned two missionaries to Berbera - Fr. Evangelist and Brother Cyprian. They studied the local language with perseverance, aided by some boys who were the only ones admitted to the little house, which served both as a lodging and a chapel. Once they mastered the language, the missionaries ventured out. Fr. Evangelist would welcome boys to the school and Br. Cyprian would care for the gravely ill in Berbera. The school was soon filled with Arab and Indian children.

In 1895, a plot of land was finally obtained. A mission centre was constructed in which there was also room for an orphanage. This was entrusted to the Tertiary Sisters from Calais. Other missionaries arrived in 1894. Among these was Fr. Stephen from Beaulon who wished to give a new impetus to the Mission by enlarging the school, starting a printing press and initiating some agricultural projects. For this last reason, he thought of shifting the Mission centre to the interior. The British authorities did not approve his plan. However, with much persuasion, he succeeded in transferring a good number of children to Shimbaraleh, 30 miles from Berbera. He also constructed a permanent residence there. However, with the departure of Msgr. Lasserre, and the take-over by Msgr. dark under unfortunate circumstances, the Mission came to an end.

The Mission in Berbera was closed in 1910 and in the same year Msgr. dark was transferred to Seychelles and was succeeded by Msgr. Filippo Pressuti. He re-evaluated the whole situation in Somalia, and tried his best to reopen the Mission. However, he could only obtain permission for a missionary to visit Berbera and Sheik occasionally. His successor Msgr. Evangelista Vanni too was denied the permission in 1916. But Msgr. Pacifico Micheloni was more fortunate. He got permission to send a missionary there, although his request to build a house was not granted. Msgr. Gian Battista Tirinnazi took up the issue once again in 1939. The Governor initially gave him permission to build a residence and a church but later revoked it. Msgr. Luigi Magliacani made the last tentative request in 1949 and with the help of Msgr. David Mathew, Apostolic Delegate of Mombasa, built a residence and a church at Hargeisa, the ex-capital of British Somaliland.

Mission in Hodeidah

Msgr. Lasserre now turned his attention to Yemen, which had been under the Turks since 1848. He opted for Hodeidah, the chief town of Tihamah, the vast plain along the Red Sea coast. In January 1892, he sent an energetic priest from Alsace, Fr. Edmond Klein. After initial difficulties, Fr. Edmond got the Franciscan Sisters from Aden to open a dispensary. This dispensary was managed with an admirable spirit of sacrifice, and attracted the sick, even from distant places. A school for boys was also established.

Fr. Edmond had to return to Aden and was replaced by Fr. Justinian from Estables, who had to undergo a lot of hardships. He died in March 1898. With the arrival of the Lebanese Capuchin priest, Fr. Fulgentius from Gama, the French school run by the missionaries overcame the problem of teaching in Arabic Fr. Fulgentius remained at Hodeidah for four years and was then transferred to Aden. In the course of a few months, three priests followed each other, who maintained the essential services.

The arrival of Fr. Ireneus from Lyons, however, marked the beginning of an important stage. A small hospital began functioning, which made the name and work of the missionaries well-known all through Aden. It was opened on January 1, 1902 and put under the direction of a Greek doctor, Jean Pappathanassion, who performed wonders in surgical operations. However, after a year, everything came to a standstill. Msgr. dark, who succeeded Msgr. Lasserre, closed the mission in 1903 due to many difficulties.

A Greatness in Crisis

Just at the time when Hodeidah was showing signs of difficulties, the Vicariate lost the best man it had, for Msgr. Lasserre was obliged to retire. Thirty years in the Mission had sapped his strong constitution, and he was obliged to return to France.
Msgr. Lasserre was an exemplary religious and missionary, endowed with great intelligence and generosity, wise and prudent. He reorganized the Mission of Aden, of which he was both Bishop and Superior Regular. He left such a lasting impression on the Mission, that the Father General of the Capuchins, Bernard Andermatt, sent him, in 1889, a Bene Merenti medal in recognition of the exceptional growth he had fostered in this difficult Mission.

The apostolic activity under his direction was always intense and fruitful. He got the nuns to run orphanages and schools, constructed the cathedral and residence in Aden, and opened an orphanage and a house for missionaries in Assab in 1886. He provided religious services for the Christians residing in Muscat, Oman. He died in France on August 22, 1903, after having consecrated his successor, Msgr. Bernadin dark in the basilica of Notre Dame de Fourviere.

On March 21, 1902, Msgr.Bernardin dark was appointed Apostolic Vicar. He had to face several problems concerning the Mission in Hodeidah and Berbera as well as those of the personnel to assist him. Finally all Mission activities were stopped and all spirit of initiative was also lost. Only the schools retained their hold, that due to the dedication of the Marist Brothers and the Franciscan Sisters of Calais. Before the situation became worse, Msgr. dark was transferred back to the Seychelles on June 10, 1910. His successor was Msgr.Fillipo Presutti from Recanati. Msgr. Fillipo Presutti from Recanti, was a missionary from- India, who had already been in Aden at the time of Fr. Alphonso Cianfanelli from Macerata. He was 65 years of age. In spite of his age and ill-health he was gladly welcomed the missionaries, eager to revive Aden as early as possible. He urged the General Curia of the Capuchins to confide the Mission of Aden to a particu¬lar province, as it would guarantee success. Eventually, on December 30, 1910, Aden was given to the Province of Palermo, which was represented from 1885, by two religious - Fr. Bonaventura from Caltabellotta, and Br. Francesco from Castellamare. On February 18, 1911, three priests and three co-adjutor Brothers started from Palermo, and arrived in Aden with great enthusiasm. But in the face of difficulties, the mission had to be with¬drawn from the Province of Palermo and attached to the Provincial Commissariate of Smyrna and later to the General Secretariat of the Capuchins. Msgr. Fillipo Presutti went for a period of rest to Cheren in Eritrea, but he died there on August 3, 1914.

The Mission of Aden declined, but the Propagation of Faith hoped for its revival in good time, when the man of Providence would arrive from India, the place from where the Missionaries generally came. Meanwhile, Fr. Paolo Lazzeri from Lucignano was appointed an Apostolic Administrator. He suggested to the Minister General to entrust the Vicariate to his Province. His recommendation was accepted, and on January 17,1916, Aden was entrusted to the Province of Florence, under the new Apostolic Vicar Msgr. Evangelista Vanni from Usella.

A Sudden Recovery

On April 13, 1916 Msgr. Evangelista Vanni took charge of the Vicariate. He set to work on the schools and orphanages and on a printing press. His name is especially associated with St. Anthony's School in Aden at Steamer Point, which he reorganized and where all the families sent their children. Nationalized in 1973, it continues its work of creating the future leaders of the new state. Under the ten years of his leadership, he had given the mission a great impetus and the mission of Aden slowly recovered. However, due to ill-health, he had to resign from office in 1926 and return to India as Co-adjutor of the Archbishop of Agra. He was succeeded by Msgr. Pacifico Micheloni from Prato.

Msgr. Pacifico Micheloni was appointed Apostolic Vicar on April 26, 1933. He suc¬ceeded in sending a priest to Somalia and in set¬ting up more schools in Aden, where there were already 17 government and 4 mission schools.
Un-fortunately, Msgr. Micheloni be¬came a vitim of the Climate. He died on June 6, 1936, at the age of 55 in Rome. Msgr. Giovanni Battista Tirinnanzi from Florence succeeded him.

Msgr. Giovanni Tirinnanzi was named Titular Bishop of Gaza and Apostolic Vicar of Arabia on July 2 1937. He was admired and esteemed by all for his spirit of ini¬tiative and capacity to organize. Msgr. Tirinnanzi's tenure is a landmark in the history of the Vicariate. He secured a presence in the Arabian Gulf and succeeded in building a church in Somalia. He urged the Government of Yemen, to have the Mission of Hodeidah re-opened and to have one in Sanaa or in Taiz. His attempts to open a mission in Zahege, 30 miles from Aden and to build a church on the Isthmus of Kormakar (Aden) were not successful. But such massive undertakings had taken a toll on his health and he offered his resignation on October 21, 1948. He died in Florence on January 27, 1949. His successor was Msgr. Magliacani..

Msgr. Luigi Irzio Magliacani was nominated as Apostolic Vicar year later, on Christmas Day in 1949. Soon after his arrival in Aden as Bishop, he directed his attention to Somalia, where he constructed a church in Burao, and another in Hargeisa in 1951. In Little Aden, the British Petroleum Company had started functioning and employed workmen from different countries. He immediately provided them with a church dedicated to St. Theresa. He built another in Mahalla, which he donated to the Capuchin Order.. He replaced the Franciscan Sisters of Calais and the Marist Brothers, as both had become short of personnel. In their place, he brought the Comboni Missionary sisters and the Patrician brothers. The schools were put under the direct control of the missionaries and run with the help of lay teachers. Under the direction of the Indian Capuchin, Fr. Domenico Athaide, later Archbishop of Agra, the schools attained fame. In 1954, the Bishop enlarged St. Joseph's School in Crater and modernized the other ^ schools, ' which enjoyed their 'Golden Age' during the episco¬pate of Msgr. Magliacani. It was during this time that the Gulf gained its first church in Bahrain, and was followed later by other places of worship in Abu Dhabi (February 19, 1965) and Dubai (April 10,1967). In both places he also built schools. He also constructed a small chapel in 1948 in Kuwait, which remained part of the Vicariate till December 2,1954. He obtained from the Sheikh, a plot of land for a new cathedral, on which site stands the statue of Our Lady of Arabia, blessed by His Holiness Pope Pius XII, and brought there by plane. However, the years of Msgr. Magliacani's term marked a historical turn of events which reached far beyond the importance and greatness of Aden and its Vicariate. A period had begun where a decisive turning point was taking place in world affairs.

Stormy Years

A civil war which broke out in North Yemen, and the struggle for independence in South Yemen had its repercussions in Aden and led to an exodus from the country. The Catholic population fell to 120. The schools had to accommodate new programmes, which included lessons in Marxism. Msgr. Magliacani, who had followed the historical events with trepidation, was spared the grief of the final disaster. During 1969, in a period of relative calm, after having gained a moral certitude that the missionaries, who had contributed so much to the education of so many youth, would be respected, the Bishop, now advanced in years, resigned from office. The hardships in India, the difficulties of a new beginning in Bahrain and the restarting of the missionary activities in Somalia weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was succeeded as Apostolic Administrator by Fr.Damiano Ciacci from Siena. It fell to - his lot to tackle the difficulties confronting the Mission.

However, matters became worse. On September 28, 1973, the schools were nationalized and the Comboni Sisters had to leave. On October 16, the missionaries also were served notice to quit. Fr. Damiano then chose Abu Dhabi, in the Arabian Gulf, as the new seat of the Vicariate, as the discovery of oil resources were beginning to attract a lot of workmen from the east, n amongst whom were many Christians. He established ill his presence there on January 1,1974.

On March 21, 1976, the new Apostolic Vicar, Msgr. Bernardo Gremoli, arrived. His he Excellency Bishop Bernard :al Gremoli was well ice acquainted with Abu ad Dhabi, having visit-ice ed it several times, as Secretary of the Missions. Soon after his appoint¬ment, he had to cope with matters connected with the School and the shifting of the mission complex in Abu Dhabi. Having settled the school mat¬ters, the Bishop turned his attention to the question of moving the premises. The Bishop accepted the offer of a plot of land at the boundary of the city where the new, modern complex, comprising St Joseph's Cathedral, St. Joseph's School and residences for the Bishop, priests and nuns, now stands.

With the inauguration of the new church in Abu Dhabi in 1983, a new chapter opened for the Vicariate. In the same year, the Vicariate was singularly blessed. It conducted the ordination of its .first priests in the local church. To cater to the need of the thousands of Catholics who come to the Emirates from all parts of the world, the Vicariate sought the help of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Once a year, all the priests of the Vicariate meet in Abu Dhabi for updating, fellowship and an exchange of pastoral experiences. Such meetings are extremely necessary, considering the diversity of problems they have to face from day to day. Coming as they do from various nationalities and belonging to various congregations, the missionaries are naturally prepared to share their enriching pastoral experiences under the exemplary leadership of His Lordship, Bishop Gremoli. academic education, they are also given a good grounding in the principles and practices of a good moral life.
To the east of Dubai lies the Emirate of Sharjah. As it was not possible to construct a new church, a chapel prepared by the British soldiers served the community. When this chapel was demolished to make room for the road extension, the authorities provided a building that was. later renovated and blessed by His Excellency Bishop Gremoli in 1977. Al Ain was served by a priest from Abu Dhabi who visited the place once a week. In 1969, the first church was built and dedicated to Our Lady. The constant increase in the number of the faithful obliged the Bishop to enlarge the church in 1981.

The presence of Catholics in the Sultanate of Oman can be traced to the end of the last century, but it never attained the same level as in the Emirates. The first request for priests came in a letter to Msgr. Lasserre from the French Vice-Consul in 1898. The request could not be granted due to lack of personnel. However, a Carmelite priest from Iraq began to visit Muscat, as attested by a letter from the Superior of the Discalced Carmelites in Mesopotamia to Msgr. dark. The Capuchins started visiting Muscat from I960. It took them two days to get there from Bahrain. The first priest to reside permanently in Muscat was Fr. Earth Kestel, who began the construction of a church on a plot of land, given by the Sultan in Ruwi. The church was solemnly blessed in 1977 by Msgr. Lourdswamy, at that time. Secretary of the Congregation of the Propagation of the Faith. The church was blessed in the presence of the Apostolic Delegate, Msgr. Calabresi and the Apostolic Vicar, Msgr. Bernard Gremoli.

From Muscat, the missionaries visited the Catholics in Salalah. The Catholic community was increasing there and so Bishop Gremoli obtained a plot of land from His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and in 1981 a church was built to serve Christians of various denominations. However' ecumenical co-existence did not work out well. In 1984, a chapel was constructed and blessed by the Apostolic Vicar. In the course of time, the. Catholics grew in numbers and a new plot of land in Ghala was obtained from the Sultan and a new church was completed in 1987. The consecration ceremony was performed by Apostolic Nuncio Msgr. Louis Robles Diaz , assisted by Bishop Gremoli.
The Christian communities of Qatar were visited by the missionaries from Bahrain. When Bishop Gremoli made his first pastoral visit in 1976, he found a large community of Christians in need of spiritual services. Efforts are underway to gain permission to build a church here in order to serve the community.

Thus, the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia, which Bishop Bernard Gremoli oversees, is one of the largest dioceses in the world, stretching from Yemen to the Sultanate of Oman. A prudent and pious leader, he has the foresight and vision, which is essential for someone who looks after the spiritual welfare of so many Christians under his care. In conclusion, it may be noted that the presence of the church in this region, during the last 100 years, has a history very rich in events and fluctuating in its progress. It was at times joyous, favourable, promising and full of hope; at other times, it was difficult and beset with obstacles. The constant hardships and sacrifices undergone and the many services rendered by the church through the person of her many Prefects, Vicars Apostolic and their collaborators, both priests and nuns, are equally outstanding and worthy of respect and admiration.

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