Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia


The Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia is an apostolic vicariate of the Catholic Church with territorial jurisdiction for Oman, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The vicar apostolic of the vicariate is Paul Hinder, OFM Cap. It was first established in 1888 and took its current name in 2011. The see of the vicar apostolic is in St. Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. Since 1916 it has been in the care of the Capuchins of Florence.

History

The territory was originally part of the Vicariate Apostolic of the Gallas, but it was separated into an apostolic prefecture by Pope Pius IX on 21 January 1875. On 25 April 1888, Pope Leo XIII made the Apostolic Vicarate of Aden, located in Yemen. On the 28 June 1889, the name was changed to the Vicariate Apostolic of Arabia, responsible for the countries of the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding region: Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Somalia and Yemen.
On 29 June 1953, the then Apostolic Prefecture of Kuwait was separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia. In 1973, the see of the jurisdiction was transferred from Aden to St. Joseph's Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. A subsequent redrawing of boundaries in 2011 reduced its jurisdiction to the countries of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The vicariate has been governed by the Capuchin friars since 1916.

Apostolic Vicars of Southern Arabia

  1. Louis-Callixte Lasserre, OFM Cap.
  2. Bernard Thomas Edward Clark, OFM Cap.
  3. Raffaele Presutti, OFM Cap.
  4. Evangelista Latino Enrico Vanni, OFM Cap.
  5. Pacifico Tiziano Micheloni, OFM Cap.
  6. Giovanni Tirinnanzi, OFM Cap.
  7. Irzio Luigi Magliacani, OFM Cap.
  8. Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli, OFM Cap.
  9. Paul Hinder, OFM Cap.

    Statistics

Area

[United Arab Emirates]

Abu Dhabi - St. Joseph's Cathedral
Mussafah - St. Paul's Church
Al Ain - St. Mary’s Church
Ruwais - St. John the Baptist Church
Dubai - St. Mary’s Church
Jebel Ali - St. Francis of Assisi Church
Sharjah - St. Michael’s Church
Ras Al Khaimah - St. Anthony of Padua Church
Fujairah - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church

[Oman]

Muscat - Holy Spirit Church, Sts. Peter and Paul Church
Salalah - St. Francis Xavier Church
Sohar - St. Anthony’s Church

[Yemen]

Aden - St. Francis of Assisi Church
Hodeidah - Sacred Heart Church
Sana'a - Church of Mary Help of Christians
Taiz - St. Therese of the Child Jesus Church