Church of San Francisco Javier de Salalah (Oman)
In Salalah, south of Oman, the parish of San Francisco Javier belongs to the Apostolic Vicariate of South Arabia. He was born on a land donated in 1979 by Sultan Qabus bin Said, and his first church was dedicated on 1 May 1984; in 2019 the present temple was opened, home to a Catholic community of many peoples and languages.
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- The parish land was a gift from Sultan Qabus bin Said in 1979 for the first church in Salalah; Father Augustine Antao, Jesuit and first parish priest, raised the temple dedicated to him on May 1, 1984.
- In 1981, an ecumenical centre dedicated to the Three Magi was opened in memory of the tradition that one of the magi came from this land of incense.
- The new church, which was opened in September 2019 after a year and a half of works, is home to 600 faithful sitting - up to a thousand with the rostrum and the next room - and was attended by the Apostolic Nuncio Francisco Padilla and Bishop Paul Hinder, vicar of South Arabia.
- It is a parish of people from all over Asia: in addition to the usual masses, it is celebrated in Tamil, konkani, tagalo and Malayalam, along with the liturgy of the Syrian-Malabar and Syrian-Malankar rites; in Oman there are about 60,000 Catholics.
San Francisco Javier
The parish of San Francisco Javier de Salalah, born of the generosity of Sultan Qabus and the Jesuit and Capuchin missionary work, is today a home of faith for thousands of Christian workers from many countries. His new temple, opened in 2019, gives serene witness to the Gospel in the land of incense.
Por nos; Virgen María, Queen of the Missions, keeps the Church in Arabia.
Is the advocation of the Virgin Mary of your people missing?
Si no encuentras la advocación mariana de tu ciudad o pueblo, cuéntanosla: la investigaremos para ubicarla y darla a conocer en este mapa del amor de la Madre por el mundo.
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