The Czech Ambassador to Kuwait Juraj Chmiel used the Thursday gathering of diplomats and church members to honor Archbishop Eugene Martin Nugent’s service while reflecting on the legacy of Saint Wenceslas whose feast the event anticipated. Chmiel recounted how the 10th-century duke died on September 28 935 after his brother Boleslav the Cruel attacked him on the way to morning mass. The ambassador noted that three years later the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I oversaw the saint’s canonization and praised Wenceslas for spreading Christianity while aiding the poor sick widows and orphans through extensive charitable works. He encouraged attendees to preserve those values of kindness and compassion amid ongoing regional tensions that have seen Kuwait endure Iranian attacks for three months under a now-fragile ceasefire.
Archbishop Nugent addressed the assembled diplomats Czech community members and parishioners directly during the ceremony at the church. “We are gathered in this beautiful church Our Lady of the Island Church among friends members of the diplomatic corps members of the Czech community and the parishioners and faithful of this church” he said. Nugent expressed gratitude to God for the years spent in Kuwait and for the people met friendships built faith shared hospitality received and moments of grace that would remain with him. He described his Kuwait mission as one of the most meaningful experiences in his service to the Church noting how it reinforced the universality of the faith despite diverse languages cultures and rites.
Agenzia Fides reported that Pope Leo XIV named Nugent the new apostolic nuncio to the Czech Republic on May 25 2026 the feast of Mary Mother of the Church. The 67-year-old prelate from Scariff in County Clare Ireland had arrived in the Gulf in February 2021 to lead the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia which covers Kuwait Bahrain Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Nugent thanked Pope Leo for the trust placed in him and highlighted the Czech Republic’s rich history of saints martyrs and resilience through difficult periods according to the Vatican news agency.
During his five years in the region Nugent collaborated with local Christian leaders in ecumenical efforts and engaged in interfaith dialogue particularly through institutions such as the Doha Institute in Qatar and the King Hamad Centre in Bahrain. Agenzia Fides noted that he helped sustain pastoral care for migrant Catholic communities from Southeast Asia and the Middle East especially during the COVID-19 pandemic after the death of the previous vicar. Nugent also supported the communities through recent Middle East conflicts while working closely with Apostolic Vicar Aldo Berardi and Bishop Paul Hinder of the UAE.
The Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference detailed how Nugent first served as a priest in Ennis from 1984 to 1987 before his later diplomatic postings. Pope Francis visited the vicariate in 2022 during Nugent’s tenure and Cardinal Pietro Parolin elevated a church in Ahmadi to basilica status earlier this year. Nugent’s farewell in Kuwait comes as he prepares to assume duties in Prague where the Czech Embassy deliberately timed Thursday’s celebration ahead of the traditional September 28 saint’s feast to align with his transition.
Chmiel conveyed both sadness at Nugent’s departure from Kuwait and happiness that the Czech Republic would gain such an experienced diplomat. The ambassador tied the event to broader calls for humane values in a world facing expanded conflicts beyond the Gulf. Nugent in turn entrusted the people of Kuwait and the local Church to the Virgin Mary as he concluded his remarks at the island church.
