By Fevin Mascarenhas
Pics by Sujay Bendur
Daijiworld Media Network - UAE
Al Ain, UAE, Dec 10: Following on from the church inauguration the previous day, the new church building of St. Mary’s Al Ain was officially consecrated by Bishop Paul Hinder on 8th December in the presence of a large number of priests, nuns and faithfuls from the vicariate. The date also happens to mark the parish feast of the Immaculate Conception. The occasion began with a procession which included the blessing of the church’s relic which contains the bones of St. Therese as per the church tradition. Bishop Paul Hinder anointed the church altar and the 14 memorial stones around the church with holy oil, incense and holy water.
The new building can accommodate up to 1200 people including a large hall in the basement that has a seating capacity of 700. The construction of the church building began in February and was completed in less than 10 months. On the 18th of December the church bazaar will be held to raise funds by the efforts of the parishioners. A raffle draw will also be held with the grand prize, as sponsored by a parishioner, a brand new car.
Just before the final blessing, Fr. Anthony P.A., the parish priest thanked everyone involved in the painstaking construction process. He also gifted mementos on behalf of the parish as a token of appreciation for all those parishioners who were instrumental in assisting in the construction phase. At the end of the mass, Bishop Paul Hinder and Fr. Anthony P.A. cut a cake to mark the first mass in the building. In reply the parishioners acknowledged Fr. Anthony’s hard work and dedication in getting the church building completed on time with nonstop applauses.
After the mass, all parishioners were treated to a sumptuous buffet to jointly celebrate the consecration as well as the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The mass was attended by different Christian communities of Al Ain and the crowd totalled in excess of 2500 people. Noting the crowd in attendance, the Bishop was quoted saying at the start of the mass “Looking at the number of parishioners present today, I think Al Ain needs another church building !”