Sacred Heart Church, Catholic church in Manama, Bahrain

Sacred Heart Church is a Roman Catholic parish in Manama, Bahrain, and one of only two Catholic churches in the country. The present main church building was constructed in 1990 under Father Felicio Diniz, replacing the original 1939 structure. The complex also includes a parish community center, the Third Millennium building, and the Sacred Heart School, now run by the Apostolic Carmelite Sisters.

The foundation stone was laid in 1939, and the first Christmas midnight Mass was held that same year. This made it the first Catholic church to be established anywhere in the Persian Gulf region.

The congregation is made up of people from many different countries, and each Sunday multiple Masses are held in different languages. Visitors can hear prayers and hymns in languages ranging from English to Tagalog to Malayalam, all within the same building.

The church stands in the al-Mukharraqa area of central Manama, opposite the neighbourhood of Farij al-Mukharraqa. Masses are held mainly in English, with others in French, Spanish, Arabic, Malayalam, Tamil, Konkani, Filipino, Telugu and Sinhala. The Family Day festival takes place in the first week of February, and an annual Ramadan iftar is also held.

Although Bahrain is a predominantly Muslim country, the church has operated continuously and openly since it opened, with full state protection. This uninterrupted presence over many decades is unusual for a Catholic church anywhere in the Gulf.