Ahead of the Soccer World Cup, to be held in Qatar, the Catholic church present in the country’s capital announced that the only Catholic church will keep its doors open throughout the day.

The parish of Our Lady of the Rosary, which can seat some 2,000 people, is the church with the largest capacity in the Arabian Peninsula.

The church, located in the Barwa Complex, close to the Mesaimeer Shopping Center, will have Mass in English at 5:30 pm, during the period of the World Cup.

The parish of Our Lady of the Rosary was built on land donated by the Emir of Qatar to the Catholic Church. However, because Islamic Law prevails in Qatar, the church cannot exhibit crosses or bell towers or ring bells. 

Cardinal Ivan Dias dedicated the church in 2008, in a ceremony attended by Qatar’s Vice-Prime Minister. 

There are some 200,000 Catholics in Qatar, the majority immigrants from India, the Philippines, Africa, Lebanon and South America.