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 | |
Country | United Arab Emirates |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Religious institute | Order of Friars Minor Capuchin |
Website | Official website |
History | |
Former name(s) | St Mary of the Assumption Parish |
Dedicated | 3 November 1989 |
Associated people | ca. 350,000 |
Architecture | |
Completed | 3 November 1989 |
Demolished | 1988 |
Administration | |
Diocese | Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia |
Deanery | United Arab Emirates |
Clergy | |
Bishop(s) | Paolo Martinelli |
Rector | Fr. 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.