Saint Anthony’s Church in Ras Al Khaimah, a 2025 Jubilee site, celebrates with pilgrimages multilingual Masses, and unity for migrants led by Bishop Martinelli.
Newsroom, June 15, 2025, Gaudium Press – The feast of Saint Anthony of Padua, revered as the “Doctor Evangelicus,” was marked with vibrant prayers, celebrations, and pilgrimages at Saint Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Ras Al Khaimah. This year’s festivities hold special significance, as the church has been designated a Jubilee Church for the Holy Year 2025 by Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.
From June 12 to 16, Bishop Martinelli led the parish’s novena in honor of Saint Anthony during his pastoral visit, presiding over liturgies and administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to local children. The celebrations culminated in a solemn Mass on June 15, attended by a diverse congregation and led by the bishop himself.
Saint Anthony’s parish, a spiritual home for over 10,000 registered parishioners from more than 20 countries, reflects the region’s multicultural fabric. Masses are celebrated in 10 languages, including English, Arabic, Malayalam, Tamil, and Tagalog, catering to the needs of its predominantly migrant community. The church, whose construction began in 1999 and was completed in 2013, serves as a hub for pastoral care, catechesis, and spiritual formation.
A Jubilee Church for the Holy Year
On January 5, 2025, Bishop Martinelli inaugurated the Jubilee Year at Saint Anthony’s, designating it one of the Apostolic Vicariate’s official pilgrimage sites. Throughout the Holy Year, pilgrims visiting the church can obtain plenary indulgences under the usual conditions. From January to May 31, over 13,000 pilgrims have already journeyed to the church, according to the Apostolic Vicariate.
The parish has organized Jubilee events on the first and third Sundays of each month to deepen the faithful’s engagement with the Holy Year. A unique pilgrimage itinerary features 11 stations, marked by a yellow line from the Grotto of the Virgin Mary to the church’s interior. Each station includes prayers displayed on signs, and pilgrims receive a booklet detailing the Jubilee’s history, indulgences, and prayer intentions. Approximately 100 volunteers assist pilgrims during these weekends.
In his homily opening the pastoral visit, Bishop Martinelli urged the community to embrace their role in the Jubilee Year. “Be, above all, a sign of hope by welcoming every pilgrim with a loving Christian smile,” he said. “Being a pilgrim means being on a journey toward a meaningful destination. I therefore invite you to use our condition as migrants as a means or channel to be pilgrims of hope.”
A United Church in Diversity
The bishop emphasized the unity of the Catholic Church in the Gulf, despite its diverse linguistic, cultural, and liturgical traditions. “We are not a collection of national Churches coexisting side by side here in the Gulf, ignoring each other,” he said. “Nor are we an extension of our Churches of origin. Although it is good to remain in contact with one’s Church of origin, it is much more important to be living members of this Church, the Church in Arabia.” He described the community as “the only mystical body of Christ in the Gulf,” enriched by its varied spiritual gifts.
The parish’s commitment to inclusivity is evident in its ministries and activities, which serve a congregation largely composed of migrant workers from Asia and other regions. The church’s role as a Jubilee pilgrimage site underscores its significance as a beacon of hope and faith in the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which spans the UAE, Oman, and Yemen.
As Ras Al Khaimah’s Catholic community continues its Jubilee celebrations, Saint Anthony of Padua Church remains a testament to the power of faith to unite diverse peoples in a shared journey toward holiness.
Raju Hasmukh with Sources from: Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, Saint Anthony’s Catholic Church Ras Al Khaimah, Vatican News, Agenzia Fides
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