A newly established parish in Texas is the first Ghanaian national Catholic parish in the United States and is the first in the world to be named after a man who was martyred by ISIS in 2015.
“It is with profound gratitude to Almighty God and with great joy that I announce the establishment of Saint Matthew Ayariga Catholic Church in Arlington as the newest parish of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth,” said an August 28 letter from Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, Texas.
This parish, said Olson, is “especially significant” given its patron and the community it serves.
“Saint Matthew Ayariga Catholic Church is established as a personal parish for the Ghanaian Catholic community in North Texas,” he said, noting that for nearly two decades, “the Ghanaian Catholic community has met weekly at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Arlington for Mass in the Twi language”.
The Ghanaian community, he said, has grown in recent years due to a collaboration between the Diocese of Fort Worth and the Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana.
“The development of this community has flourished so that a full parish is now required to meet the spiritual needs of this vibrant Catholic and immigrant community,” he said.
Bishop Olson continued: “Saint Matthew Ayariga Parish is the first Ghanaian national Catholic parish in the United States and the first Catholic parish anywhere in the world to be established under the patronage of Saint Matthew Ayariga, the Ghanaian Catholic migrant whose courageous profession of faith in Jesus Christ led to his martyrdom in Libya in 2015.”
At the time of his martyrdom, Matthew Ayariga was a migrant worker in Libya. He and 20 others – Egyptian Coptic Orthodox Christians – were kidnapped by ISIS. A video of their execution was published online by ISIS on February 15, 2015, titled “A Message Signed with Blood to the Nation of the Cross”.
Prior to his execution, Ayariga was asked if he was a Christian, to which he reportedly said: “Their God is my God.”
This, said Bishop Olson, “reminds us of the words of our Lord: ‘Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (John 15:13).” While ISIS intended for the video of the execution to scare Christians, it had the opposite effect, he said.
“Instead, the steadfast faith of the martyrs has become a testimony to the victory of Christ. Those who sought to silence the name of Jesus instead gave the world witnesses who proclaimed Him without words and unto death,” he said.
A week after the video was released, Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, canonized all 21 as martyrs in the Coptic Orthodox Church. On May 11, 2023, Pope Tawadros II gave Pope Francis a relic of the martyrs, and Pope Francis proclaimed: “These martyrs were baptized not only in water and the Spirit, but also in blood, with a blood that is a seed of unity for all followers of Christ. I am pleased to announce today that, with Your Holiness’ consent, these 21 martyrs will be included in the Roman Martyrology as a sign of the spiritual communion uniting our two Churches.”
The Catholic faith, said Bishop Olson, “is truly universal,” and the establishment of this parish is “an important chapter in the growing presence and contribution of Ghanaian Catholics within the Diocese of Fort Worth and within the Catholic Church in the United States.”
“The establishment of this parish recognizes the gifts of faith, family, culture, devotion, and service that Ghanaian Catholics bring to the life of our local Church and wider community while establishing a parish whose doors and mission are open to all of God’s people,” he said.
The dedication Mass for Saint Matthew Ayariga Catholic Church will be held on Friday, January 29, 2027, said Bishop Olson. He will be the principal celebrant, joined by Archbishop Gabriel Anokye of Kumasi as an “honored guest and concelebrant”.
“The weekend will offer a time for celebration including representatives of the Ghanaian community, dignitaries from Ghana, the United States, the State of Texas, the city of Arlington, and our local communities. It is an occasion worthy of celebration by all people of goodwill – Catholic and non-Catholic alike,” he said.
