Archbishop Eugene Nugent used the occasion of a reception on August 26 to express profound gratitude to Kuwait’s leadership and people for their hospitality during a period marked by global challenges. He specifically thanked His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Crown Prince for the consideration shown to the Holy See and to him personally in his remarks at the Crowne Plaza Hotel event. The nuncio praised Kuwait’s commitment to dialogue, moderation and peaceful coexistence while noting how diplomacy ultimately centers on building trust between people according to his address.
In his speech the archbishop recalled focusing not on crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, Pope Francis’s visit to Bahrain, a visit by the Vatican Secretary of State to Kuwait and recent regional conflicts but on the personal connections formed since his arrival in January 2021. He highlighted the warmth with which he was received, the doors opened to him, the conversations shared and the friendships established across diplomatic, religious and community settings. Archbishop Nugent extended particular appreciation to priests, religious men and women for their dedication along with the diplomatic corps for the solidarity shown through shared national days and gatherings.
The nuncio spoke with affection about the thousands of Catholic faithful in parishes and communities, many of them expatriates living far from their families who continue to attend Mass with joy, pray with faith and care for one another. “I came here as a bishop to encourage them in their faith. But very often, they were the ones who encouraged me in mine” Archbishop Nugent said. He observed that in these encounters differences of religion, nationality and culture often disappeared as people met simply as friends.
Quoting Irish poet William Butler Yeats, the archbishop summed up his feelings with the words “My glory was, I had such friends” during the farewell address. He stressed that although he was leaving with deep emotion he was not departing with sadness but with gratitude for Kuwait’s generosity, hospitality, remarkable diversity and above all its people. Archbishop Nugent concluded by thanking God for the grace of his years in Kuwait, the state and people for welcoming him, the Church for sustaining him and his team and friends for accompanying him while offering prayers for the Amir, the Crown Prince, the people of Kuwait and the wider region.
Archbishop Nugent first assumed his post as apostolic nuncio to Kuwait and Qatar in January 2021 with accreditation to Bahrain added the following month, Vatican announcements confirm. The Irish-born prelate, ordained a priest in 1983, previously served as nuncio to Haiti from 2015 to 2021 and in earlier roles as nuncio to Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles as well as head of the Holy See Study Mission to Hong Kong according to Catholic Hierarchy records. His appointment as apostolic nuncio to the Czech Republic was announced on May 25, 2026.
Multiple Kuwaiti outlets reported that the farewell reception drew Assistant Foreign Minister for European Affairs Najeeb Abdulrahman Al-Bader as chief guest along with ambassadors, business community members, Christian leaders, priests, nuns and Catholic faithful. The archbishop had participated in numerous religious festivals, cultural celebrations and community events that formed part of his lasting memories of the country. His remarks underscored the personal relationships built over his tenure with both Kuwaiti officials and the diverse expatriate Christian communities present in the Gulf.
