
Ghanaian St Matthew Ayariga to be honored with a Catholic church in the United States
St Matthew Ayariga, a Ghanaian-born Catholic lay missionary, will have a Catholic church in Arlington, Texas, named in his honor, marking the first parish worldwide under his patronage. He was martyred in February 2015 by Islamic State militants in Libya alongside 20 Coptic Orthodox construction workers. Despite being Ghanaian, not an Egyptian Copt, he was captured with his colleagues. When questioned about his faith, he responded, "Their God is my God," demonstrating his commitment to Christianity. This act of bravery led to his recognition as a martyr by both the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. Pope Tawadros II canonized the martyrs, and Pope Francis announced their inclusion in the Roman Martyrology. St Matthew Ayariga is believed to hail from northern Ghana, born in the late 1980s or early 1990s, and worked as a migrant in Libya. The new Saint Matthew Ayariga Parish, announced by Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth, is set to open in January 2027. It will serve the Ghanaian Catholic community in North Texas, a community that has been worshipping together since 2007, with support from the Archdiocese of Kumasi.



