CONTENTLY STANDING SIDE BY SIDE....

As you know, mosques are found on every street corner (just about anyway!) here in the UAE.  What once was a loud, strange and annoying "Call to Prayer" five times a day, has become a soft, unassuming and often times peaceful whisper.

There are two Catholic churches in Dubai, one on the north side and one on the south side.  We have attended mass at both, but John and I prefer St. Mary's which is located about a half hour north of the Marina. 

What makes St. Mary's really special is the mosque that is located right next door.

Interestingly enough, sometimes during mass we hear "The Call To Prayer" from the mosque next door.  I've always thought it was kind of a cool thing.

This past Saturday, as we were leaving the courtyard of St. Mary's after mass, John showed me something that we had never noticed before.  It was a plaque that was hanging beside our church bells.

Be sure to read carefully what the plaque says....

The church bells that currently ring at St. Mary's Catholic Church were donated by none other than His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.  He was the Ruler of Dubai from 1958-1990, and was the eighth ruler from the Al Maktoum family.  Well loved and greatly respected by the residents of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid ruled the emirate with compassion and a clear vision of what was required in order to transform Dubai into a modern city.  Driven by this vision, Sheikh Rashid accomplished what many believed to be the impossible.

The present ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, is committed to his father's dream of making Dubai one of the foremost cities in the world.

All I have to say is that I am mighty impressed that the Muslim ruler gifted church bells to a Catholic parish located in Dubai. 

And there you have it....a mosque and a Catholic church
....contently standing side by side.   That, in and of itself, speaks volumes, don't you think?