A new Catholic church has been built in the outskirts of Abu Dhabi.
After St Joseph’s Cathedral in Al Mushrif, St Paul’s Church in Musaffah industrial area is the second Catholic church in Abu Dhabi.
The new church was inaugurated by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister for Culture, Youth and Community Development, on Thursday in the presence of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State and other dignitaries.
Church leaders say the new place of worship becomes a blessing to many Catholics who travel from the outskirts of the city to attend weekly services in Al Mushrif.
The Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, Bishop Paul Hinder said the new church is another example of the generosity of the rulers of the UAE, Oman and Yemen with the seat of the Bishop located in Abu Dhabi.
It is estimated that there are almost 900,00 Catholics in the UAE and there are about 15,000 to 20,000 of them attending weekly services in Abu Dhabi.
St Paul’s Church in Musaffah industrial area has a seating capacity of 1,200 and also hs multi-purpose hall, residence for priests and staff, and meeting room. The church will have daily services in English and weekly services in Arabic, Malayalam and Tagalog, and bimonthly service in Tamil and monthly service in Konkani.
The installation of the parish priest Father Ani Xavier will be held on Sunday.
Praise the Lord!