St. Anthony's Catholic Church Sohar

The St. Anthony's Catholic Church, located in Sohar, about 230 kms north of Muscat, was formerly inaugurated on 4 February 1994, by Archbishop Pablo Puente, Apostolic Nuncio in Lebanon and Apostolic Delegate to the Gulf. The first Mass, however, was celebrated on 15 August 1993 by Fr. Edward Saracini, who had been appointed as the first Parish Priest of the new parish.
Sohar (صحار) the most developed city in the Sultanate of Oman, outside the capital Muscat, was an ancient capital of Oman. Having a rich sailing tradition, Sohar was historically a fishing town up until recent times; today, it has transformed into a prominent industrial hub.
In the year 1989, during the pastoral visit of Bishop Giovanni Bernardo Gremoli, the catholics residing in Sohar expressed their desire to have a place of worship. Convinced of their necessity he presented a petition to the ruler, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said (قابوس بن سعيد آل سعيد). In an audience on 27 April 1991, His Majesty benevolently approved the petition and generously donated the land for building the Church.
On 24 March 1992, the foundation stone was laid for a church by Archbishop Erwin Josef Ender, Apostolic Delegate and Nuncio in Sudan in the presence of Bishop Gremoli.