The Catholic Church in Kuwait

The Catholic Church is the largest among Christian Groups in Kuwait. The community is a picturesque mosaic of multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-lingual migrant workers. More importantly, the community reflects the diversity and richness of the Universal Church as there are an estimated 300,000 Catholics belonging to different Rites - Latin, Maronite, Greek Catholic, Coptic Catholic, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara and Chaldeans, all united in the same faith under the Holy Father. Among them, the largest group consists of those belonging to the Latin Rite or what is called the Western Catholic Church. In Kuwait, the Latin faithful come from India, the Philippines and other Arab States; a small number are from Europe, Africa, America, other Asian countries and the Far East.

The Teresian Carmel (Discalced Carmelite Order) has secured the presence of the Latin Church in Kuwait since 1953, when the Holy See entrusted the territory to the Order, as territory separated from the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, administered by the Capuchin Friars. In 1953, it was erected into a Prefecture Apostolic. In 1954, it was raised to become a Vicariate Apostolic.

 Many are familiar with the term "Diocese", at the same time, many may not have heard of the term "Vicariate Apostolic". A Vicariate Apostolic is an Ecclesiastical territory, governed by a Vicar Apostolic, established in mission lands, where the Church hierarchy has not been fully established. The Vicar Apostolic, as a rule, is a Titular Bishop. He governs the territory assigned to him in the name of the Supreme Pontiff (the Pope).

The Vicar Apostolic of Kuwait is presently assisted, in the pastoral care of the faithful, by Discalced Carmelite priests, secular priests, a priest of the Maronite Rite and a permanent deacon. The Greek Catholic priest in Kuwait lives independently and holds his Church services and activities in his rented villa in Salwa. The Vicariate is also blessed to have three religious communities that impart a sound education through the co-educational high schools run by them. They are the Rosary Sisters from Jordan and Lebanon that run the Fager Al-Sabah School, the Apostolic Carmel Sisters from India that run the Carmel School and the Salesians of Don Bosco from the Indian province that run the Indian English Academy School.