The third Christian cemetery opened yesterday amidst a multi-denominational service consecration.
The ecumenical service was presided by Bishop Aldo Berardi of the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia and marked the completion of two phases of the cemetery’s construction.
Representatives of different churches in Bahrain gathered to bless the new burial ground, with Bishop Berardi and Gerard Fernandes of the Christian Communities Cemetery Committee (CCCC) leading the Roman Catholics, National Evangelical Church (NEC) Pastor Blaine Newhouse and Pastor Isaac Inayat of the NEC Urdu community leading the Reformed Protestants, Father Saba Haidosian of the Greek Orthodox Church and Fr Rewais George of the Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Church leading parishioners of the Orthodox Churches, and Bishop Sean Semple and Nicholas Bonaventure of the CCCC leading the Anglicans.
“The New Christian Cemetery is far from complete,” St Christopher’s Cathedral dean Father Richard Fermer explained. “What you see around you is the result of the first two phases of this project, and has provided a basic operational cemetery with boundary wall and guardhouse.
“Our next phase is the construction of storage area, toilet block, pathways, lighting and CCTV cameras, which has been funded to the tune of BD15,000 and will commence in the coming months.
“Phase 4, for which we now need to fund-raise BD60,000, is the construction of a chapel of rest, to receive the coffin of the deceased and where final prayers can be said, out of the sun, before burial.”
The fifth and final phase will see the design and construction of an adjoining modern, low emission, environmentally-responsible gas-fired crematorium, as well as the installation of equipment.
The CCCC, represented by chairman and British ambassador Alastair Long, expressed gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the donation of the land and the 200 tonnes of sand necessary to infill the site.
The committee also thanked all the churches who have given to the project and individual donors, and the Bahrain Marathon Relay Charity of the British Club, as well as the pro-bono donations in the form of professional design and construction services.
The first Christian cemetery in Bahrain opened in 1901 and was fully utilised by 1966, in Manama. The second cemetery in Salmabad, has almost reached its operational capacity.
With more than 30 Christian burials per year, the construction of a third cemetery was becoming a matter of urgency and the committee was thankful to mark the occasion in this manner.
&uuid=(email))