Complete guide to the churches in Sharjah
Like the rest of the UAE, Sharjah enjoys the indomitable strength of cultural and religious diversity. Regardless of your faith, there is freedom of worship and a safe space to follow your religion peacefully. That’s the reason the emirate is home to diverse worship places. You can find everything from mosques to gurdwaras and churches in Sharjah. Here’s our guide to all the churches in the city.
CHURCHES IN SHARJAH
Most Sharjah churches are concentrated in the Al Yarmook area, which is one of the main reasons many Christians in Sharjah prefer to live in the vicinity or rent apartments in Bu Daniq. Let’s take a look at the churches in the emirate.
ST MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC CHURCH
Present in the city since October 1997, this Catholic church in Sharjah is headed by six different priests who impart the same message of God in different languages. Having multiple priests ensures that the divine word reaches every ear that wishes to hear and learn from it.
St. Michael’s Church Sharjah hosts around 40,000 parishioners of different nationalities but of the same faith. 35 different prayer groups celebrate the Holy Masses in 9 different languages – sending out the message of acceptance and harmony. If you’re looking for Catholic churches in Sharjah with Catechism programs, enrol your child at St. Michael’s Catholic Church.
- Location: 15 Abdullah Bin Anees St-21st St – Al Yarmook
- Contact: +971-6-566-2424
ST. MARTIN’S ANGLICAN CHURCH
St. Martin’s Anglican Church follows the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf under the leadership of Bishop Michael Lewis. In the UAE, the church partakes in the Chaplaincy of Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.
St. Martin’s Anglican Church runs various ministries, each focusing on a certain group of people (women, teens, children) or a matter of importance (sports, activities, fellowships). This Sharjah, UAE church also hosts teachers and followers of other Christian denominations – as and when required.
- Location: Al Dhahak Bin Harethah Street, – 26th Street, Al Yarmook
- Contact: +971-6-566-3388
GRACE EVANGELICAL CHURCH SHARJAH
One denomination hosted by St. Martin’s Church is the Grace Evangelical Church. Like most early missions, the Grace Evangelical Church does not have a brick-and-mortar address so far. However, followers of the Evangelical faith can gather around at St. Luke’s Hall in St. Martin’s Church as a local prayer group.
The Grace Church currently has foreign workers from more than ten countries, including Filipinos, Africans and South Asians. Even with the ethnic and language diversity in the group, the church finds common grounds in delivering sermons and worshipping in English – a language common to all. Grace Church Sharjah has its doors open for anyone looking for English churches in Sharjah.
- Location: St. Luke’s Hall in St. Martin’s Church in Al Yarmook
- Contact: +971-6-521-0975
ST. MARY’S JACOBITE SYRIAN SOONORO PATRIARCHAL CATHEDRAL
One of the oldest churches in Sharjah, St. Mary’s Church, has been around in the city since the 1980s. Even though they had no physical presence before 1997, the parish diligently served people of the faith.
Today, the St. Mary’s Church has become an epitome of harmony, peace and valuable Christian teachings for its followers in Sharjah. Apart from regular church service, the church operates a proper Sunday school for kids, where classes are conducted every Friday after the Holy Qurbana. The church also provides bus services for its followers.
- Location: Al Dhahak Bin Harethah Street, 26th Street, Al Yarmook
- Contact: +971-6-566-3384
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH SHARJAH
One of the orthodox churches in Sharjah is the Russian Orthodox Church. Opening doors to orthodox compatriots in August 2011, the church provides regular church services, baptisms, and wedding officiating. The church also has a successful Sunday school for kids and a Russian cultural and educational centre open to all worshippers.
This Orthodox church in Sharjah usually operates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and all public holidays between 09:30 am and 01:00 pm. On the remaining days of the week, you can make prior arrangements for prayers, weddings or baptisms through an appointment with the priest. For those of you looking for Pentecostal churches in Sharjah, the Church of the Living God is located right next to the Russian Orthodox Church.
- Location: Jaber Bin Abdullah Street 33, Al Yarmook
- Contact: +971-50-787-0612 | +971-55-685-0331
ST. GREGORIOS ORTHODOX CHURCH
In the 1970s, a lot of South Asians moved to the UAE to find jobs amid the country’s oil rush. Among these was a considerable population of Orthodox Christians from Kerala, India. Back then, there were hardly any churches in Sharjah – let alone orthodox churches to cater to this faction of the Christian faith.
This led to forming of a Prayer Group that gained patronage from the St. Thomas Orthodox Church in Dubai. What started as a once-a-month prayer meeting back in 1973 has now developed into one of the most popular Orthodox Christian churches in Sharjah – the St. Gregorios Orthodox Church. Apart from the regular church service, this Sharjah church is actively involved in giving back to its community in India.
- Location: Al Estiqlal Road
- Contact: +971-56-288-7010
MAR THOMA PARISH SHARJAH
Formed during the 1960s by Mar Thoma Christians who travelled to the UAE in search of employment, the Sharjah Mar Thoma Parish is another of the notable churches in Sharjah. Land for the church complex was officially allotted by His Highness Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi in 1995.
The school has young participants as more families from Kerala settled in the emirate. It is now over a thousand-student strong and has 110 teachers. Furthermore, the parish also operates several programmes like a Sunday School.
- Location: Yarmooke Area, near Progressive School
- Contact: +971-6-567-4876
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
HOW TO GET TO ST. MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC CHURCH SHARJAH?
The shortest route to St. Michael’s Catholic Church from central Sharjah is via Sheikh Zayed Street up to Abdullah bin Anees Street.
HOW DO I FIND OUT PRAYER AND MASS TIMINGS IN THE CHURCHES IN SHARJAH?
Most of the popular churches in the emirate have an online presence. You can check out schedules like prayer timings on their official websites.
WHICH ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOSQUES IN SHARJAH?
Al Noor Mosque, Sharjah Mosque and King Faisal Mosque are some of the most beautiful mosques in Sharjah, which are worth the visit.
That concludes our list of the Sharjah Churches. As we mentioned, most of the churches in Sharjah are concentrated mainly in Al Yarmook. Please bear in mind that most Sharjah church timings aren’t constant. Make sure you call ahead of time to avoid any inconveniences. If you live in the golden city, you can pray at these churches in Dubai.
You can also take a look at Churches in Ajman serving the Christian community in the emirate.
