St. Mary's Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic parish located in Al Ain, in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the country and is one of five Catholic churches in the emirate.[1]
History
St. Mary's Catholic Church was established in 1969 with the land for the church being granted by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father and first President of the UAE. The church was constructed under the care of Fr. Barnabas Maddii OFM Cap.[2]
Initially, the church consisted of modest structures to accommodate a small but growing Catholic population, largely composed of expatriate workers.[3] Over time, as the population of Al Ain expanded,[4] the parish grew significantly, necessitating the expansion of church facilities over the next few decades,[5] with the latest addition, a parish hall, being constructed in 2013.[6][7]
Clergy
Present and past parish priests
| No.[8] | Name | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fr. Barnabas Maddii, OFM Cap. | 1969 | 1981 |
| 2 | Fr. Attilio Franceschetti, OFM Cap. | 1981 | 1983 |
| 3 | Fr. Daniel Cerofolini, OFM Cap. | 1983 | 1986 |
| 4 | Fr. Antonino Fortuna, OFM Cap. | 1986 | 1990 |
| 5 | Fr. Francis Jamieson | 1990 | 1993 |
| 6 | Fr. Mathew Fernandes | 1993 | 2007 |
| 7 | Fr. Antony Puthenpurackal, OFM Cap. | 2007 | 2014 |
| 8 | Fr. Stalin Varghese, OFM Cap. | 2015 | 2026 |
| 9 | Fr. Andrew Francis, OFM Cap.[9] | 2026 | Incumbent |
Present and past assistant parish priests
| No.[10] | Name | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fr. Augustine Fernandes, OFM Cap. | 2010 | 2015 |
| 2 | Fr. Ernesto Ablaza, MSP | 2015 | 2025 |
| 3 | Fr. Ronelo R. Resco, MSP | 2025 | Incumbent |
References
- 1.Tesorero, Angel; Times, Khaleej. "Why Filipino Catholics in UAE visit 7 churches during Holy Week". www.zawya.com. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 2."History". St. Mary's Catholic Church, Al Ain. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
- 3."Closing Mass of the Pastoral Visit to St. Mary's Parish, Al Ain - Homily by Bishop Paolo Martinelli". Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
- 4."Parishes in the UAE". Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
- 5.Elsa, Evangeline (2019-12-26). "Christmas in the UAE: Mass and service timings across UAE churches". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 6."Standing room only as new church opens its doors". The National. Retrieved 2026-03-30.
- 7.Reporter, Samihah Zaman, Senior (2021-02-07). "Know Abu Dhabi: Places of worship for communities of diverse faith". Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, travel news, Dubai Gold rate, prayer time, cinema. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 8."History". St. Mary's Catholic Church, Al Ain. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- 9."Our Priests". St. Mary's Catholic Church, Al Ain. Retrieved 2026-08-18.
- 10."History". St. Mary's Catholic Church, Al Ain. Retrieved 2026-08-18.