Dubai's St Mary's Catholic Church bids farewell to beloved Indian expat priest leader after 11 years

Dubai: On any given weekend at St Mary's Catholic Church in Dubai, tens of thousands from various countries gather for prayers, a scene that speaks volumes about the level of tolerance and harmony in the UAE.

With more than 350,000 registered parishioners from dozens of countries, St Mary's is among the largest Catholic parishes in the world. Mass is celebrated in multiple languages, mirroring the diversity of Dubai itself.

For more than a decade, the Catholic community attending this church was led by Fr Lennie JA Connully, an Indian expat parish priest whose leadership shaped not just a church, but a spiritual lifeline and a whole new dimension to community service and volunteering work.

New leadership begins

Today, January 11, the church will see the installation of Fr Leny Escalada from the Philippines as the new parish priest by Bishop Paolo Martinelli during the 6.15pm Holy Mass.

"This will be followed by a fellowship programme in Bishop Gremoli Hall, as we joyfully welcome our new parish priest and express our heartfelt gratitude and farewell to our outgoing parish priest," the church said in a statement.

As Fr Lennie prepares to bid farewell to Dubai and move on to the next chapter of his priestly journey, parishioners are extending a grateful adieu to him.

Many who spoke to Gulf News said his legacy lives not only in ministries and milestones, but in the countless lives steadied by his calm faith and gentle leadership.

A promise kept

Hailing from Kerala and a former administrator of St Joseph's Academy, Delhi, who has also served in the Vatican and in South Africa, Fr Lennie was installed as parish priest at St Mary's Church in 2014.

At that time, his promise to the congregation was modest, recalled the parishioners. He spoke not of grand plans, but of goodwill, service, and walking together "like a family". Over the next eleven years, parishioners say, that promise became the quiet foundation of his ministry.

Fr Lennie is remembered as one of the prominent religious leaders in the country who always honoured the UAE leaders for their generosity and religious tolerance.

A voracious reader, well-versed in current affairs, Fr Lennie has been an avid promoter of the arts, having served as both director and actor in a popular Biblical Dramatic Club. As parish priest and president of the parish council, his admirable leadership has inspired unity and trust, the parishioners said.

Coincidentally, he is also celebrating his Golden Jubilee of priesthood this year.

Leading with compassion

"Fr Lennie never led from above. He listened first. Even in difficult decisions, he chose unity and compassion over convenience. He always said our neighbour is not merely the one who lives beside us, but the one who is in need," said Joanna Fernandes, vice president of the parish council.

That spirit was perhaps most visible in the parish's outreach to the vulnerable during his tenure.

Under his leadership in chief pastoral and administrative position, St Mary's strengthened its pro bono legal and medical ministries, supporting expats facing labour disputes, assisting cancer patients, and facilitating life-saving treatments through government hospitals.

Many times, the church raised large donations for cancer patients through 'Mercithons'. In its Golden Jubilee year in 2018, the amount donated to Emirates Red Crescent was Dh525,000.

In 2024, a Filipino expat received a double lung transplant costing nearly Dh1 million, an amount that was ultimately waived by the treating hospital, Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi.

Miracles and mercy

The beneficiary, Alex Tugon, said: "My 'rebirth' is nothing but a miracle. Before the complex surgery, Father took time to bless me and reminded me to place everything into God's hands. That moment filled me with peace, strength, and remains a blessing I carry with deep gratitude."

Fr Lennie also led the parish in reaching out to several thousands of unemployed and vulnerable individuals during the Covid-19 pandemic, said Susan Jose, from the Samaritans Ministry.

"Provisions and essential rations were distributed to job seekers and families who had been left without any source of income, restoring hope and dignity during a time of great uncertainty. Our parish also cooperated closely with the government in supporting the amnesty programme by providing air tickets to repatriate the underprivileged. Most recently, this December, we were blessed to organise a Christmas celebration at the Dubai Women's Prison in Al Awir, bringing smiles, comfort, and hope to over 600 inmates," she recalled.

Beyond crisis response, parish life flourished. Thousands of children enrolled in catechism programmes. Job seekers received meals and provisions. Pardoned inmates were supported through repatriation efforts aligned with the UAE's spirit of tolerance and amnesty.

Personal presence matters

"For someone who had no family here, the church became everything. Fr Lennie taught us that people are not problems to be solved, but souls to be loved," said Amjad Nassar from Jordan, a parishioner for 35 years who has been volunteering with the parish's social ministry.

Yet several parishioners say his greatest gift was his personal presence.

"Whether he was addressing thousands from the altar or sitting quietly with one person in distress, he gave the same attention. You felt seen," recalled James Joseph, who has been a parishioner of five decades.