Texas diocese establishes first parish named after Ghanaian martyr Matthew Ayariga
The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth in Texas has established the Saint Matthew Ayariga Catholic Church in Arlington, honoring Ghanaian martyr Saint Matthew Ayariga, who was killed by ISIS in Libya in 2015. This new parish will be the first Ghanaian national Catholic parish in the United States and the first Catholic parish globally named after Matthew Ayariga. Ayariga was among 21 Christian migrant workers abducted and beheaded by ISIS militants in February 2015, reportedly refusing to renounce his Christian faith. Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth announced the parish's establishment on August 28, 2026, highlighting its significance for the Ghanaian Catholic community in North Texas. The creation of the parish follows nearly two decades of worship by Ghanaian Catholics in the area, who began meeting in 2007 for Mass in the Twi language. The congregation grew through collaboration between the Diocese of Fort Worth and the Archdiocese of Kumasi. The new parish aims to serve as a spiritual and cultural home for Ghanaian Catholics in North Texas, preserving Ayariga's legacy of unwavering faith.
