St. Mary's Catholic Church, Dubai

St. Mary's Catholic Church is a parish church of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

St. Mary's Catholic Church
25.24049643123643°N 55.31759406555784°E / 25.24049643123643; 55.31759406555784
CountryUnited Arab Emirates
DenominationRoman Catholic
Religious instituteOrder of Friars Minor Capuchin
WebsiteOfficial website
History
Former name(s)St Mary of the Assumption Parish
Dedicated3 November 1989 (1989-11-03)
Associated peopleca. 350,000
Architecture
Completed3 November 1989 (1989-11-03)
Demolished1988 (1988)
Administration
DioceseApostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia
DeaneryUnited Arab Emirates
Clergy
Bishop(s)Paolo Martinelli
RectorFr. Lennie J.A. Connully, O.F.M.Cap.

History

Initially, Catholics in the United Arab Emirates were served by a priest based in Bahrain, but eventually there was need for a resident priest. Prime Minister Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum initially granted a plot of land but it was unusable due to its remoteness. Fr Eusebio Daveri then obtained a more accessible plot of land in 1965 and began construction of a church. On 7 April 1967, it was solemnly blessed by the Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia Irzio Luigi Magliacani, OFM Cap., and dedicated as the Church of the Assumption.[1]

However, as the number of faithful grew, there was need for a larger church. In 1988, the Church of the Assumption was demolished and replaced with St. Mary's Catholic Church. It was dedicated on 3 November 1989 by Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples.[1] Today St. Mary's Catholic Church has over 350,000 parishioners from different nationalities.

See also

References

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