'Guardian angel' Church of South India to open in Abu Dhabi
Indian Protestant community describes the space as a 40-year-old dream come true Hundreds of worshippers will soon be be able to visit the long-awaited new Church of South India which is nearing completion in Abu Dhabi. The winged exterior of the peach and sandstone structure is preparing to welcome the Protestant faithful from across the Emirates. The community of parishioners from southern India have been waiting for their own space to worship for more than four decades. “We have been here for 43 years and this is our dream come true to have our own church,” parish priest, Lalji M Philip, told The National . “The construction is almost done. “We are very thankful to the UAE government for giving us this land for a church. “We are not a very big community and are very grateful for the chance to have our own space.” People have been worshipping every Friday evening at St Andrew’s Church in Abu Dhabi since 1979. Construction began in September 2020 on the steel and cement str...