Dubai: Catholics in Dubai have been urged to remain faithful and continue what the church fathers started 50 years ago when the church was built in the emirate on the foundation of unity, peace, mutual understanding and tolerance.

St Mary’s Catholic Church began its three-day celebration of its 50th founding anniversary on Thursday complete with a thanksgiving and honouring service to the UAE’s Rulers for their generosity, and cultural performances from its parishioners.

Bishop Paul Hinder, Abu Dhabi-based Vicar Apostolic of Southern Arabia, congratulated the church for its five decades of service in the emirate and for being what is believed to be the largest parish in the Catholic church in the region, if not in the whole world.

Currently, around 80,000 parishioners come to mass every week at St Mary’s. But this could swell to 100,000 to 200,000 on special occasions. In a video presented by the church on Thursday, the numbers could even be at 500,000.

“But what is more important than the number [of parishioners] is the quality of your life and I am thanking you for that that you are trying in your diversity to be one in him our Lord Jesus Christ,” Bishop Hinder told the crowd.

“I only wish you that remain true to who you are that you will go forward on the way which has been traced for you by the big personalities in the past and that you continue in a worthy way what they have started and to collaborate in this direction, building peace, justice, mutual understanding and tolerance among us, our neighbours and our host.”

Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, Apostolic Nuncio (Pope’s ambassador), was also present during the event along with other religious leaders.

Ahmad Julfar, director-general of Community Development Authority, was also present.

Fr Lennie J.A. Connully OFM Cap, parish priest of St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai, said the celebrations are centred on God’s 50 years of grace-filled providence and for using human channels to pour out his blessings from above.

“The first and most important channel is this nation, the rulers and people of this nation,” Fr Connully said.

“This nation has offered us so much. With open arms, you welcomed us, gave us job opportunities, safety and security and everything that we asked for. Above all, you gave us a place to worship and practise our religion.”

The church stands on land donated by Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the then Ruler of Dubai, and was inaugurated on April 7, 1967, by Shaikh Rashid himself.

The church’s history was presented in a laser light show and the Jubilee Souvenir Book was launched, looking back to the church’s humble beginnings and growth.

These memories are still fresh in Captain Houlton Francis Rodrigues, 74, who came to Dubai then as a chief officer on a ship that was bringing supplies to the emirate.

Rodrigues said his sister’s husband was among those who built the church, carrying the bricks for the building because there were no workers back then.

“The church was very small then, it had no air-conditioning, so we used to open the windows during the service,” Rodrigues recalled.

During the service on Thursday, gold balloons were released into the sky as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Various community groups presented traditional and cultural presentations during the event.

As part of the celebrations, a thanksgiving concelebrated pontifical high mass would be held on Friday night, followed by Agape with the participation of all communities.