Oman Church Records
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In other languages: العربيةFor information about records for non-Christian religions in Oman, go to the Religious Records page.
Online Resources and Websites
- British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Oman , index & images ($)
- British Armed Forces and Overseas Banns and Marriages, Oman , index & images ($)
- British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials at Findmypast - index & images ($)
Historical Background
Christianity is the religion of 6.5% of the population of Oman, which equals to about 300,000 persons. Ninety Christian congregations exist in the country. There is little official record of Christianity in Oman until the arrival of the Portuguese in 1504.
Almost all Christians in Oman are from other countries. Most of them are from the Philippines, India or Western countries, and they are concentrated in the country's urban areas: Muscat, Sohar, and Salalah. For many Christians living and working outside of these areas, going to church is inaccessible and therefore only happens on occasion. At least one St. Thomas Christian church is present in Oman, and more than 50 different Christian groups, fellowships, and assemblies are active in the Muscat metropolitan area. The Protestant Church of Oman, the Catholic Diocese of Oman and the al Amana Center (interdenominational Christian) are recognized by the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs.
Islam is the official state religion, but Article 28 of the Omani constitution protects freedom of religious practices as long as they do not violate Islamic law. Therefore, Christian migrants in Oman enjoy a considerable amount of religious freedom, although they are bound to strict rules. For example, Christians must practice on specific land that the government has allocated for them. It is also difficult for churches to get permits for construction and permission to host public religious gatherings is challenging to attain. Private gatherings are prohibited, although this law is not always strictly enforced. Proselytizing Muslims is forbidden.[1]
Information Recorded in the Records
Different denominations, different time periods, and practices of different record keepers will effect how much information can be found in the records. This outline will show the types of details which might be found (best case scenario):
Baptisms
In Catholic and Anglican records, children were usually baptized a few days after birth, and therefore, the baptism record proves date of birth. Other religions, such as Baptists, baptized at other points in the member's life. Baptism registers might give:
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Marriages
Marriage registers can give:
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Burials
Burial registers may give:
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How to Find Records
Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Watch for digitized copies of church records to be added to the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Some records might have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
- a. Click on the records of Oman.
- b. Click on Places within Oman and a list of towns will appear.
- c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
- d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
- e. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the listing for the record.
. The magnifying glass indicates that the record is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the records.
Writing for Records
You will probably need to write to or email the national archives, the diocese, or local parish priests to find records. See Letter Writing Guide for Genealogy for help with composing letters.
Catholic Church Records
Writing to a Local Parish
Earlier records can be held at the diocese, with more recent records still kept in the local parish. To locate the mailing address or e-mail address for a diocese or local parish, consult:
Historical Background
According to recent estimates, there are 138,000 Catholics in Oman, making up almost 70% of all Christians in the country. Oman belongs to the area of the Apostolic Vicariate of Arabia, which handles 4 parishes in Oman in Sohar, Salalah, and two in Muscat. The oldest standing Catholic church is Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Muscat, built in 1977. The church in Salalah, The St. Francis Parish Church is the most recent and opened its doors in September 2019. 21 Catholic congregations exist in Oman. According to Father Raul Ramos of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, most of the Christians he has encountered are from India and the Philippines, as well as expats from Nepal, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, and Bangladesh. [2]
Anglican (Episcopal) Church Records
Writing for Records
Historical Background
Oman belongs to the area of the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East.
Protestant Church Records
Writing for Records
Historical Background
5.8% of the persons in Oman are Protestants, approximately 11,500 people. 21 Protestant denominations are present in Oman and they all fall under the umbrella of the Protestant Church of Oman (PCO). There is a campus in Salalah, one in Sohar, and two campuses in Muscat. There are four actual congregations in Muscat, all in different languages: Korean, English, Arabic, and Tagalog.
Eastern Orthodox Church Records
Writing for Records
Historical Background
Eastern Orthodox Christians in Oman are under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Archdiocese of Baghdad, Kuwait and Dependencies, that belongs to the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. The main center of Eastern Orthodoxy in Oman is the Parish in Masqat. There are currently 24,000 Orthodox Christians, 12.5% of the overall Christian population in the country. The first Orthodox church in Oman, Sts. Constantine and Helen Church began construction in April 2019 in Muscat.
Pentecostal Church Records
Writing for Records
Historical Background
There is a Pentecostal Assembly located in Muscat. It's congregants are largely Indian expats, and it is the largest Malayali congregation in the Middle East. There are over 1,500 members, and service is conducted in four different languages: Hindi, English, Malayalam, and Tamil.
References
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Christianity in Oman", in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Oman, accessed 13 April 2020.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Christianity in Oman", in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_Oman, accessed 13 April 2020.