Just before Thanksgiving, President Dr. Michael Bates and Principal Mr. Joseph A. Waler traveled as guests of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Abu Dhabi and Dubai to begin forming connections and relationships with the people and institutions of this uniquely tolerant and progressive country on the Arabian peninsula.
Highlights of their nine-day trip included visits to three Catholic schools, two public schools, New York University Abu Dhabi, UAE Ministry of Education, UAE Space Agency, Saint Joseph Catholic Cathedral, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, and the Museum of Islamic Civilization.
Dr. Bates and Mr. Waler also had the honor to meet with His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE's Minister of Tolerance, as well as Roman Catholic Bishop Paul Hinder, Bishop of the Vicariate of Southern Arabia.
In just 48 years since its founding in 1971, the UAE has leveraged the discovery of oil to grow from a nomadic Bedouin culture in the desert to become a cosmopolitan hub of enterprise, cultural progress, and innovation. Today the population of 9.5 million includes 1.5 million Emiratis and 8 million expatriates from all over the world.
More than 1.5 million Christians live in the UAE, including including over 800,000 Catholics. In several visits to Catholic schools and churches, Dr. Bates and Mr. Waler witnessed the vibrant practice of Catholicism in a culture and country founded upon ideal of tolerance.
“I humbly recognize the reality that each of us is a human being striving to live life on this planet and seeking to know God. Visiting the UAE reconfirmed for me the importance of travel and of testing my preconceptions about the world," Dr. Bates commented.
"This trip opened my eyes and heart more widely to tolerance and the desire to foster peace building among our students and youth,” he added. “Little did I know that Pope Francis' visit and prayer in the UAE in February would lead to a transformative gift by the Embassy for our students at NDCL and to the beginning of a partnership taking Mr. Waler and me across the world to witness to a people who welcomed us with open arms.”
 HOLY GROUND: Bishop Paul Hinder welcomes Dr. Bates and Mr. Waler in the courtyard of Saint Joseph Cathedral in Abu Dhabi. The minarets in the background are part of Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mosque, which was named to reflect the esteemed place of Mary in both Christianity and Islam. In fact, Mary is the only woman named in the Quran, the holy book of Muslims. Joining Dr. Bates and Mr. Waler are Mr. Joseph Flynn, Superintendent of Catholic Schools in Abu Dhabi, and Mrs. Hessa Al Shuwaihi, Media and Public Diplomacy Senior Specialist of the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC. Mrs. Al Shuwaihi served as the NDCL leaders' expert host and guide throughout their visit. |
WHEN I GROW UP: Dr. Bates enjoys interacting with the children of Saint Mary School during their Career Day activities. Catholic schools were among the UAE's very first schools, and the Emirati people, including the royal family, hold the educational ministry of Catholic sisters in very high regard.
DISMISSAL TIME IS HECTIC THE WORLD OVER: Dr. Bates watches as a sister helps students find their parents at the end of the school day at Rashid Al Saleh School. |
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION FOR TOLERANCE: Her Excellency Jameela Al Muhairi (center), UAE Minister of Public Education, and a member of her staff (right) welcome Dr. Bates, Mr. Waler, and Mrs. Al Shuwaihi to the ministry's headquarters in Dubai. Minister Al Muhairi shared efforts to teach the values of the Human Fraternity Document signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar last February during the pope's historic visit to the United Arab Emirates.
CATHOLICISM CONNECTING ACROSS CULTURES: Sister Teresita Bayona, Director, and Mrs. Karen White, Principal, share the cultural diversity that characterizes Saint Mary's High School in Dubai and many schools in the UAE. Sister Teresita came to the UAE from the Philippines, and Mrs. White is a citizen of the United Kingdom. |
AHLAN WA SAHLAN (WELCOME): Students in traditional Arab garb get ready to greet Dr. Bates and Mr. Waler during a visit to Hamdan Bin Zayed School. Schools in the UAE honor the nation's cultural and religious heritage while employing international best practices for teaching and learning.
 |
 |
 |
| I ALWAYS WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT! Mr. Talal Al Kaissi, Strategic Projects Advisor, presents Dr. Bates with a framed patch worn by the UAE's first astronaut in space. The UAE Space Agency is currently collaborating with the University of Colorado and Arizona State University on a mission to Mars. |
HISTORIC COMMITMENT TO CATHOLIC EDUCATION: Sisters Carmen and Minette introduce Dr. Bates, Mr. Waler, and Mrs. Al Shuwaihi to Saint Joseph School, which has been serving the children of Abu Dhabi since 1967—four years before the founding of the UAE as a nation. |