Dubai, United Arab Emirates, August 9, 2021
Photo: Facebook
A new Orthodox parish will soon open in the United Arab Emirates thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Antiochian and Romanian Patriarchates.
The United Arab Emirates is part of the canonical territory of Antioch, but home to many Orthodox Romanians in need of spiritual nourishment.
The Antiochian Patriarchate announced on August 6:
With great joy, the Patriarchate of Antioch announces the establishment of a new parish in the city of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, created in collaboration with the Patriarchate of Romania. This unique joint initiative was proposed by the Patriarchate of Romania to serve the spiritual needs of the many Romanian Orthodox Christians living in Dubai, which is part of the territory of the Patriarchate of Antioch. The priest of this new parish will be appointed by His Beatitude, Patriarch Daniel of Romania with the blessing of His Beatitude, Patriarch John of Antioch, and will celebrate the divine services in the Romanian language. By God’s grace, this important development will, in the words of Patriarch Daniel, “strengthen even more both the centuries old relationship between our two sister Orthodox Churches and the Orthodox presence and witness in this part of the world.”
The Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church earlier announced the opening of a parish in Dubai at its session on July 21.
The Romanian Patriarchate’s Basilica News Agency also reports that the first services will be held on the parish’s patronal feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos on September 8.
Fr. Alexandru Truşcan will initially serve in the Antiochian Church of the Annunciation of the Theotokos in Dubai, until land can be purchased for the construction of a church for the Romanian community.
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