Sacred Heart Church, Manama

The Sacred Heart Church is a prominent Roman Catholic parish located in Manama. It is one of only two Roman Catholic churches in the country, and it serves an estimated 140,000 people. The church caters mainly to the large expatriate population in Bahrain, with many parishioners having nationalities from India, the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Arabs from Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria.

The history of the church dates back to 1938 or 1939 when Giovanni Tirinanzi, Apostolic Vicar of Arabia, visited Bahrain with plans to build a church. The foundation stone for the church was laid on June 9, 1939, and the church, priests' residence, and the Sacred Heart School were built within just six months. The church was formally consecrated on March 3, 1940, and it was the first Catholic church in the Persian Gulf.

Over the years, the parish underwent major expansion, and major developments include the construction of the main church building in 1990, the building of the parish community center, and the Third Millennium building. The Parish Priest is Rev. Fr. Xavier D'Souza, who leads the church in serving the spiritual needs of the Catholic community in Bahrain.

The Comboni Missionary Sisters were given the responsibility of maintaining the school, and it is now run by the Apostolic Carmelite Sisters. In addition to providing spiritual guidance, the church hosts a number of communal activities, with the Family Day festival being the most famous. This festival occurs in the first week of February every year and brings together members of the Catholic community for a day of celebration.