Adel
May 24th, 2009, 06:23 AM
A grave crisis
By DANIEL MUNDEN, Posted on » Sunday, May 24, 2009
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/xxxii/065/images/07cemetery.jpg
BAHRAIN's Christian community is running out of graves to bury its dead, it has emerged.
The new Christian Cemetery in Salmabad could be full within five years, according to St Christopher's Cathedral dean, the Very Reverend Alan Hayday.
"It will run out of space in the next five years so we need to think about what to do next," he said.
His comments were backed by the cemetery's committee secretary Nigel Preece, who believes it may take only two years, and confirmed plans were in place to locate a new cemetery.
"We will run out of space at the current site by December 2011 - provided burials continue at the same level," he said.
"It does depend on the balance of adult and children's graves - but we are likely to run out of space for children's graves first.
"However, if that happens, we could start using adult graves instead which could extend the life of the cemetery by at least six months.
"But obviously, if there's a major catastrophe or pandemic, the picture will change dramatically."
Mr Preece did not have any figures about how many Christian expatriates were buried in Bahrain.
But he revealed that in the past 12 months, six adults and 13 children had been laid to rest at the site, with three adults and as many children since the turn of the year.
"This means that we have about 30 plots for adults and 45 for children.
"The other thing to bear in mind is that most expats have their bodies repatriated. So the people buried in these cemeteries tend to be very poor or children of very poor people.
"But the truth is it's very difficult to predict - the variables are enormous," he said.
Rev Hayday, who is leaving Bahrain after seven years and will return to England when he retires at the end of the month, revealed that the cathedral was searching for land to build a new church.
The Archdeacon of the Gulf and Dean of Bahrain said this was primarily to cater to expatriates who live outside Manama.
"All expatriate communities are really on the other side of the island so we're in the wrong place.
"So we've started to look for land to build some more churches but there are no plans to give up this land."
He said potential sites in Saar had been identified and a plot in Awali gifted by the Royal Court, although it had already been built upon.
"The Roman Catholics have been provided with land and they're building another church.
"The National Evangelical Church and St Christopher's Cathedral are planning to open a church as a joint venture.
"I think the government is smart enough to realise that if we want this country to thrive it will need expertise from elsewhere and that expertise is going to come from Christians who will come and go."
By DANIEL MUNDEN, Posted on » Sunday, May 24, 2009
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/source/xxxii/065/images/07cemetery.jpg
BAHRAIN's Christian community is running out of graves to bury its dead, it has emerged.
The new Christian Cemetery in Salmabad could be full within five years, according to St Christopher's Cathedral dean, the Very Reverend Alan Hayday.
"It will run out of space in the next five years so we need to think about what to do next," he said.
His comments were backed by the cemetery's committee secretary Nigel Preece, who believes it may take only two years, and confirmed plans were in place to locate a new cemetery.
"We will run out of space at the current site by December 2011 - provided burials continue at the same level," he said.
"It does depend on the balance of adult and children's graves - but we are likely to run out of space for children's graves first.
"However, if that happens, we could start using adult graves instead which could extend the life of the cemetery by at least six months.
"But obviously, if there's a major catastrophe or pandemic, the picture will change dramatically."
Mr Preece did not have any figures about how many Christian expatriates were buried in Bahrain.
But he revealed that in the past 12 months, six adults and 13 children had been laid to rest at the site, with three adults and as many children since the turn of the year.
"This means that we have about 30 plots for adults and 45 for children.
"The other thing to bear in mind is that most expats have their bodies repatriated. So the people buried in these cemeteries tend to be very poor or children of very poor people.
"But the truth is it's very difficult to predict - the variables are enormous," he said.
Rev Hayday, who is leaving Bahrain after seven years and will return to England when he retires at the end of the month, revealed that the cathedral was searching for land to build a new church.
The Archdeacon of the Gulf and Dean of Bahrain said this was primarily to cater to expatriates who live outside Manama.
"All expatriate communities are really on the other side of the island so we're in the wrong place.
"So we've started to look for land to build some more churches but there are no plans to give up this land."
He said potential sites in Saar had been identified and a plot in Awali gifted by the Royal Court, although it had already been built upon.
"The Roman Catholics have been provided with land and they're building another church.
"The National Evangelical Church and St Christopher's Cathedral are planning to open a church as a joint venture.
"I think the government is smart enough to realise that if we want this country to thrive it will need expertise from elsewhere and that expertise is going to come from Christians who will come and go."