Mar Thoma Church, AlAin
كنيسة المار ثوما العين
Parish History
With the discovery of oil in the Arabian Gulf, people from all over India started moving to various countries in the Gulf including the United Arab Emirates. The Mar Thoma Christians who arrived in Al Ain, the garden city of the U.A.E., formed a prayer group in Al Ain in 1970 with 10 members initially, under the leadership of Rev. K.S. Varghese, Vicar of Bahrain Mar Thoma Parish. The respected Episcopal synod recognized and approved the Al Ain Prayer Group as a chapel in May 1980. Al Ain chapel which was under Abu Dhabi Mar Thoma Parish was elevated to the status of an independent parish on1st January 1985. Until April 2000, Vicars of Abu Dhabi Mar Thoma Church (mother parish) visited Al Ain once or twice a week and celebrated Holy Qurbana and gave necessary pastoral services and leadership.
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From May 2000, Al Ain parish was assigned with a full-time vicar Rev. K.M. Issac was the first resident Vicar of Al Ain Mar Thoma Parish. Rev. K.C. Abraham served as Vicar from 2003-06, Rev. K.M. Johnson from 2006-09, Rev. K.C. Varghese from May 2009-12, Rev. Raju P. George from May 2012 -15 Rev. K. Samuel from May 2015-18, Rev. Jacob John from May 2018- 21, Rev. Dr. P. J. Thomas from May 2021-24. Currently, Rev. Aneesh P. Alex is serving as the Vicar since May 2024.
His Grace the Most Rev Dr Theodosius Mar Thoma Metropolitan is the head of Mar Thoma Church. Now Al Ain parish is under the Adoor Diocese and Rt. Rev Mathews Mar Seraphim is now our Diocesan Episcopa. Presently the Al Ain Mar Thoma Parish has a strength of around 165 families with around 500 members.
It has been our prayer and a long-cherished dream that the government would allow for us a plot where we can construct a place of worship. We are thankful to the UAE government who has allotted us land in Al Noud. The foundation stone of the church and the parsonage was laid by the then Diocesan Bishop Rt. Rev. Dr. Geevarghese Mar Theodosius Episcopa on 17th October 2008. The Church construction has been completed and dedicated for service by His Grace the Most Rev. Dr Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan in the presence of the Diocesan Episcopa Rt. Rev. Dr. Issac Mar Phioxenos on 11th December 2009. Our Church was licensed by the Department of Community Development in 2019.
