Thousands of Catholics in Dubai can resume every parish activity from July 1 after St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Oud Metha and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Jebel Ali confirmed a complete return to normal operations, closing out a restriction period that ran for roughly three months.
The lifting of limits was announced by Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, who framed the moment as a return to unrestricted religious life for the two communities. “I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the authorities, who have carefully watched over our safety during a particularly delicate time and have now deemed that the moment has come for the full resumption of Christian life in our parish communities,” Martinelli wrote in a pastoral message, according to Khaleej Times. He thanked clergy for sustaining pastoral work through the constraints and singled out children who, he said, had accepted the measures with patience.
St. Mary’s relayed the decision to its congregation as coming directly from the emirate’s regulator. “On behalf of our parish priest Fr. Leny Supe Escalada, OFMCap., we are delighted and excited to inform you that the Community Development Authority informed us of a 100 percent reopening of our church beginning today, July 1, 2026,” the parish said, adding that a formal announcement would follow.
The parish has published a full schedule of Masses to accompany the reopening. Weekday services from Monday through Wednesday run at 6am, 6:45am, 12pm and 7pm, with an added 8pm Malayalam Latin Rite Mass on Thursday. Friday listings extend into the evening with Arabic, Tamil, Urdu and Konkani services. Saturday’s roster is the widest, spanning English, Malayalam, Syro Malankara, French and a Ukrainian Mass on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. Sunday timings begin at 6am and include a Filipino Latin Rite Mass at 12pm, along with Arabic, African, Sinhala and Syro Malabar services across the Main Church and adjoining halls.
St. Francis of Assisi passed its own word to parishioners through social media. “Following the latest directives, the church is now open to resume all activities,” the parish said on Instagram, urging returning worshippers to “maintain respect, consideration, and care for one another while following any applicable guidelines.”
The two churches had operated under a tightly managed system since a partial reopening on April 11. That arrangement confined services to indoor venues, required advance online registration, and barred anyone under 18 from attending obligatory weekend Masses. Worshippers unable to secure a spot were directed to online livestreams, though St. Francis had opted against offering a streamed alternative during the earlier shutdown.
Those measures traced back to a suspension of in-person worship ordered on April 3, during Holy Week. Dubai’s Community Development Authority had directed places of worship — churches, temples and gurudwaras alike — to curb large gatherings as the UAE faced regional hostilities, prompting Easter services that normally draw thousands to move online or be scrapped altogether.
