St. Mary's Church, Al Ain

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.

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.

Initially, the church consisted of modest structures to accommodate a small but growing Catholic population, largely composed of expatriate workers. Over time, as the population of Al Ain expanded, the parish grew significantly, necessitating the expansion of church facilities over the next few decades, with the latest addition, a parish hall, being constructed in 2013.

Clergy

Present and past parish priests No. Name Term start Term end1Fr. Barnabas Maddii, OFM Cap.196919812Fr. Attilio Franceschetti, OFM Cap. 198119833Fr. Daniel Cerofolini, OFM Cap.198319864Fr. Antonino Fortuna, OFM Cap.198619905Fr. Francis Jamieson199019936Fr. Mathew Fernandes199320077Fr. Antony Puthenpurackal, OFM Cap.200720148Fr. Stalin Varghese, OFM Cap. 201520269Fr. Andrew Francis, OFM Cap.2026Incumbent Present and past assistant parish priests No. Name Term start Term end1Fr. Augustine Fernandes, OFM Cap.201020152Fr. Ernesto Ablaza, MSP 201520253Fr. Ronelo R. Resco, MSP2025Incumbent

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