Texas parish first in world named after 2015 Ghanian martyr
The first Catholic parish in the world founded under the patronage of Ghanaian martyr and saint Matthew Ayariga will open in Arlington, Texas, in January 2027.
Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth announced on Aug. 28 the opening of the church.
Ayariga was one of 21 Christian migrant workers in Libya kidnapped and then beheaded by the terrorist group ISIS on a beach near Sirte, Libya, on Feb. 15, 2015.
Originally from Ghana, Ayariga was the only Black African among the 21 men. The others were all Coptic Orthodox Christians from Egypt. When questioned about his faith by his kidnappers, he reportedly replied: “Their God is my God.”
The Coptic Orthodox Church canonized all 21 men as saints and martyrs on Feb. 21, 2015, under Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II.
In an ecumenical sign of communion between the two churches, Pope Francis announced that the 21 martyrs would be inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on May 11, 2023, during a meeting at the Vatican with Pope Tawadros II. Francis described the men as baptized “not only in water and the Spirit, but also in blood.”
As the authority to create saints lies with the Apostolic See, the saints did not have to go…
