Roma Locuta Est

“The Abrahamic Family House”

This is the second of several articles that will offer a snapshot on attending Mass in Abu Dhabi. The Emirate of Abu Dhabi is the largest in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the city of Abu Dhabi serves as the capital of the nation.  The first letter discussed the Cathedral complex.

August 19, 2025 (Edward J. Barr) The Abrahamic Family House (AFH) sits near the water in Abu Dhabi’s cultural district on Saadiyat Island.  Driving in from the East the three modern glass and concrete structures look like oversized children’s spelling blocks.  The AFH’s website states that, “Rooted in the UAE’s values of bringing people and cultures together, the Abrahamic Family House embodies the diversity of Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE, home to vibrant multicultural communities of various faiths.”  It is a unique enterprise.  The three cubes consist of the Eminence Ahmed El Tayeb Mosque, the Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue, and St. Francis Church Abu Dhabi.  St. Francis is managed by the Catholic Church, but the use of the building is made available to non-Catholic Christian denominations.  It may come as no surprise to many Catholics that the inspiration for the AFH was the controversial signing of the document on Human Fraternity by Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb in February 2019.

Opening in 2023, the AFH offers worshipers of the three Abrahamic faiths an opportunity to pray to God in the same location.  The goal is to demonstrate the commonality shared by believers of the one God and the three religions that claim Abraham as their father in faith.  The congregation during Mass at St. Francis is diverse yet there is a different mix than compared to St. Joseph and St. Terese churches in the Cathedral complex in downtown Abu Dhabi. Many are the workers from India, the Philippines, and other nations.  However, being in the cultural district and marketed as a destination, there are a good number of ex-pats, tourists and short-term visitors to the capital of the UAE.  There are more Westerners than at the Cathedral Complex churches, and the income level appears higher as compared to other parishes in the Emirate.  

Getting to the AFH is easy, though getting into the building is more difficult than entering most churches.  Since it is a governmental managed facility there is security everywhere.  Although there is underground parking at the facility, it is blocked off; worshipers must park in an outside dirt lot.  Covered golf carts are offered to those who desire a ride; although the distance is short from the parking lot to the entrance the heat is often stifling, especially in the summer.

Once you enter the covered parking lot entrance there is a security station.  Men and women are separated, and each must empty all their belongings into a bin so that they are run through a metal detector, like the system used at airports.  Everything must be put into the bin, including belts, sunglasses, and watches.  Even after successfully passing the metal detector, every worshiper is patted down by security.  The caution is justified.  During August the US Embassy sent out an alert concerning threats against Jewish communities and facilities in the UAE.  As noted above, there is a synagogue on the same compound as St. Francis, and there is a central building containing a coffee stand and gift shop that links the three houses of worship.

The Mass is the novus ordo, and there are many similarities with worship at the Cathedral.   There is a short procession into the sanctuary, with the priest, readers and usually four altar servers.  Each wears a red cassock and processes with their hands folded in prayer.  The extraordinary ministers of holy communion are dressed identically with white shirts and black trousers or skirts.  There is the regular use of “sisters and brothers” rather than “brothers and sisters,” though the later biblical structure is not changed in the scripture readings.  The Gloria is a modern “peppy” version common throughout the emirate churches.   The choir is professional, yet this lessens the participation of the parishioners.  However, the seriousness and reverence of the worshipers is noticeable.  As at the Cathedral churches, there is standing room only at Mass.  St. Francis holds about 300 congregants comfortably; counting those on the side and standing in the back, the number reaches about 350.  

The priest is a charismatic Franciscan from Italy.  He fully recognizes the challenges his parishioners face worshiping in such a unique environment.  His interaction with his flock is warm and authentic.  He exudes a caring holiness.  The Franciscans made a great choice appointing him as the resident priest. 

The holiness exuded by the priest and congregation stands in contrast to the cold modern structure.  The inside of the church is a combination of an office building and a protestant worship hall.  There are no stations of the cross, no statues, no stained glass.  The only color and indicator that there would be a Mass was the altar, and the priest in his vestments once he processed in from the vestibule. Looking up, the ceiling is covered in hundreds of massive wooden beams that resemble stalactites in a cave.  Cut on an angle and hanging over parishioners’ heads, a “B” movie producer could easily craft a scene for a horror film with a hail of falling beams crushing worshipers.  The “Crossifix” is an abomination.  It looks like a grammar school child’s art project: A thin outline of what ostensively is a man covered in gold aluminum foil.  

Despite the architectural flaws, the spirit of the congregation and the authenticity of the priest make for a holy experience.  Externals help, but the Mass is the Mass because of the Eucharist and the offering of Christ’s once for all sacrifice to the Father.  While the parishioners don’t face all the daily challenges of those at the Cathedral churches, worshiping in a government sponsored site presents its own unique challenges.  These Catholics want to go to Mass, and they pack the pews weekly.  They want to make the effort to serve and honor the Lord.  So, they do.

Edward J. Barr is a Catechist, author and speaker in the diocese of Orlando.  He earned his Master of Theology degree from the Augustine Institute. He has been living and working in Abu Dhabi for several months.  Mr. Barr is a contributing writer for the Roma Locuta Est blog (www.RomaLocutaEst.com)