The United Arab Emirates is noted for its tolerance of a wide range of people, ethnicities, and faiths, among some other things. This is because, while the country is predominantly an Islamic country, many of its citizens hail from all over the world, carrying their own cultures, customs, and faith. The UAE has shown us unity in variety for its tolerant approach toward its citizens.
Christians make for around 9% of the overall population in the UAE, which is one of the primary religions seen in the country. And while the UAE has around 50 churches, we would be concentrating on one of the country’s Anglican and most important venues of Christian worship, St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Sharjah.
St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Sharjah: Everything That You Need to Learn
St. Michael’s Church is one of the UAE’s oldest Christian worship sites. From October 1997, this has been serving faithful Catholics in the Al Yarmook neighborhood. Cardinal Arinze of the Vatican consecrated the Church, and Fr. Angelo was the parish’s first priest.
St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Sharjah was based in a modest chapel near the British Air Force installation before the current Church was completed and dedicated. Fr. Barnabas Maddie, an Italian monk of the Capuchin order, founded St. Michael’s Catholic Church in 1971. The Church was moved to the officers’ mess two years later, with the kitchen section functioning as the parish house.
Until recent times, the Church had six priests who officiated the mass in numerous languages to meet the spiritual requirements of the Church’s parishioners who came from diverse ex-pat populations in the emirate.
- Fr. Varghese Chempoly (Kerala)
- Fr. Victor Prakash (Tamil Nadu)
- Fr. Hilario (Philippines)
- Fr. Youssef (Lebanon) – deceased
- Fr. Stephen Lewis OFM Cap., (Karnataka)
- Fr. Jose Vattukulathil (Kerala)
The Church also has 167 notable Eucharistic pastors, 139 lectors, 80 helpers, and 113 altar servers in addition to the clergy. The parishioners are led in worship service by a 28-member choir.
With roughly 40,000 members, St. Michael’s Catholic Church is one of the biggest Anglican Catholic parishes. The Church also has 35 active prayer groups that meet once a week. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, it hosts one of the most extensive catechism programs in the emirate, with over 4,000 students participating.
St. Michael’s Catholic Church, along with other churches around the UAE, has been temporarily shut down to support the government’s effort to contain the epidemic.
Schedule of Weekly Service (Mass) Timings at Anglican Church
Timings for Mass from Monday to Thursday.
- 5:30 a.m. 7:00 a.m. 7:00 p.m.
Masses of Particular Interest
Each fourth Thursday of the month, at 7:00 p.m., a wedding anniversary liturgy is celebrated in the main Church.
On the other hand, the student mass takes place on the fourth Saturday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the St. Francis Assisi Chapel.
Time of English Mass at Anglican Church
- (Friday): 5:45 a.m., 7:00 a.m., 8:15 a.m., 9:30 a.m.
- 5:30-7:00 p.m. (at the parish hall)
Masses of the Catechism
- 9 a.m. (at the parish hall)
- 10 a.m. (at the parish hall)
- 9:30 a.m. (at the parish hall)
- 9:30 a.m. (in the main Church)
Time of English Mass (Saturday):
- 5:45 a.m.
- 8:30 a.m.
- 5 p.m.
- 7 p.m.
Time of English Mass (Sunday):
- 5:45 a.m.
- 8:30 a.m.
- 7:00 a.m.
- 5:30 a.m.
- 7:00 p.m.
African Mass is held on the final Friday of each month at 5:00 p.m. at the parish hall.
Arabic Mass is performed every Saturday at 3:45 p.m. and every Sunday at 8:30 p.m. in the main Church.
The Konkani Mass is performed on the first Friday of each month at noon in the main Church. Every Saturday at 7:00 p.m., there is a weekly Konkani mass in the parish hall.
Mass Timing in Malayalam at Anglican Church
Weekly mass schedules for people who follow the Syro-Malabar Rite are as follows:
8:15 p.m. on Thursday
Contact information for St. Michael’s Anglican Church
15 Abdullah Bin Anees Street-21st Street, Halwan Suburb Al Yarmook, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Parish Office Timings: “8:00 am – 12 noon; 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm (Daily)”
Telephone Number: +971 6 5662424
Email: [email protected]
Website: stmichaelssharjah.org
Have you ever visited St. Michael’s Church before the quarantine?
What was your impression of the place after your visit? Will you suggest this Anglican Church sharjah to your friends and relatives in the UAE if you’re a member of the Catholic community?
Please post a comment below and let us know in the comments!
