St. Joseph's Parish, Abu Dhabi to celebrate its Golden Jubilee (1965-2015)

St. Joseph's Church Abu Dhabi celebrates its Golden Jubilee (1965-2015) on Thursday, 19 March 2015. The Celebrations start with the Holy Mass at 7 PM at the St. Joseph's Church compound followed by a brief Community event. The whole parish will participate as the date coincides with the Feast of the Patron Saint of the Parish, St. Joseph.

It is an event when the Catholic Church in Abu Dhabi joins in thanksgiving to God and also to the rulers of the state for an opportunity to worship God in the capital city of the United Arab Emirates for the last 50 years. Fifty years ago, the Ruler Sheikh Shakhbut granted about 11 acres of land on the Corniche to the Catholic Church as a sign of his patronage to many Catholics who were committed to the development of the nation. Famous among them was Mr. Michael Daly, who worked with British Petroleum and who was involved in the training of young Emiratis. In 1983, Sheikh Zayed, the Father of the Nation, donated the land in the present area in Al Mushrif where Bishop Gremoli built the present church.

Bishop Paul Hinder reiterated the commitment of the members of the Catholic Church in the country to the progress of the nation during his welcoming address to Sheikh Nahyan, the UAE Minister for Culture, Youth and Community Development when he visited the premises to open a new centre in October 2014 when he said, "We thank our rulers and express our thanks for providing an attractive environment where we feel accepted and able to live our own identity and to practice our religious beliefs. As a Church we do everything to foster the human capital of our faithful, make them strong in the pursuit of truth and moral behaviour and thus better able to serve the country. We see this as our contribution to the prosperity of the host country."

Capuchins from Italy were the pioneer missionaries in the Gulf, now joined by Capuchins and other priests from many nations.