St. Mary's Catholic Church, Dubai
| St. Mary's Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
View of St. Mary's in 2025
| |
| 25°14′26″N 55°19′03″E / 25.24049643123643°N 55.31759406555784°E | |
| Country | United Arab Emirates |
| Denomination | Catholic Church |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Religious institute | Order of Friars Minor Capuchin |
| Website | Official website |
| History | |
| Former name | St Mary of the Assumption Parish |
| Dedicated | 3 November 1989 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 3 November 1989 |
| Demolished | 1988 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia |
| Deanery | United Arab Emirates |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop | Paolo Martinelli |
| Rector | Fr. Leny Supe Escalada, O.F.M.Cap. |
St. Mary's Catholic Church (Arabic: كنيسة القديسة مريم الكاثوليكية) is a parish church of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. As one of only two Catholic churches in Dubai, St. Mary's has grown to become the largest Catholic parish in the world thanks to immigration from Catholic communities abroad.[1]
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.[2]
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.[2]
Today St. Mary's Catholic Church has over 350,000 parishioners, making it among the largest churches in the Middle East. Its members are predominately Filipino, South Asian, and African, and masses are held throughout the week in Arabic, English, French, Konkani, Malayalam, Sinhalese, Swahili, Tamil, Tagalog, Ukrainian, and Urdu.[3]
Clergy
Present and past parish priests
| No.[4] | Name | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rev. Fr. Eusebio Daveri | 1965 | 1982 |
| 2 | Rev. Fr. Daniele Cerofolini | 1982 | 1984 |
| 3 | Rev. Fr. Eugenio Mattioli OFM Cap. | 1984 | 1986 |
| 4 | Rev. Fr. Daniele Cerofolini OFM Cap. | 1986 | 2004 |
| 5 | Rev. Fr. Peter P. M. OFM Cap. | 2004 | 2009 |
| 6 | Rev. Fr. Tomasito B. Veneracion OFM Cap. | July 2009 | October 2014 |
| 7 | Fr. Lennie J. A. Connully OFM Cap. | October 2014 | January 2026 |
| 8 | Fr. Leny Supe Escalada OFM Cap.[5] | January 2026 | Incumbent |
See also
References
- Back to citation Cimino, Richard (9 January 2013). "Emirates: world's largest Catholic parish activates its laity in Islamic Dubai". english.religion.info.
- Back to citation occurrence 2.0 Back to citation occurrence 2.1 "History". St. Mary's Catholic Church.
- Back to citation "Mass Schedule". St. Mary's Catholic Church.
- Back to citation "History". St. Mary's Catholic Church. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- Back to citation "A New Beginning at St. Mary's, Dubai: Fr. Leny Escalada Installed as Parish Priest". Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia. Retrieved 2026-04-02.