Your parish.Your family.
St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Karu — a parish of the Archdiocese of Abuja since 1986.
Sixty-three societies.One parish.
From the Catholic Women Organisation to the parish zones, there is a place here for you.
Sing with the choirand its drummers.
The choir leads the singing at Sunday Mass, accompanied by the drums of the parish.
8,865baptisms recorded
1,033marriages celebrated
63societies of the parish
3daughter parishes
To prepare
Prepare your visit
Come into the church. Ahead of you, across the marble sanctuary, the crucifix stands above the tabernacle. Walk the aisles, light a candle for your intentions, and sit for a while in the quiet before the Blessed Sacrament.
This is the largest Catholic church building in the Archdiocese of Abuja, and it was raised entirely by free-will offering, by parishioners in a middle and lower income town. Every block of it was given.
If you are new to Karu, or returning to the Church after a long time away, you do not need an appointment. Come to any Mass, and introduce yourself to a warden at the door afterwards. They will point you to your zone and to the people who will look out for you.
Catechismknow your faith
Get involvedgrow your faith
A word from the parish priest
You do not need an appointment to belong here.
St. Mary’s is a parish of over five thousand people — Igbo, Gbagyi, Tiv, Yoruba, Idoma, Hausa and more — sitting in the same pews on a Sunday morning. Whatever brought you to Karu, there is room for you in it.
Headlines
Parish notices
Read at every Mass and posted here. If something concerns your zone, your leader will follow it up with you.
Baptism registration for next month is open
Parents should come to the office with the child's birth certificate. The preparation class holds on the Saturday before.
First Holy Communion classes resume
Children already enrolled should return to the parish hall. New registrations are still being taken at the office.
Zone contributions are being received
Zone leaders will collect and submit through the Parish Pastoral Council. Receipts are issued at the office.
New voices wanted before the festive season
You do not need to read music. Speak to the choirmaster after the second Mass on any Sunday.
The calendar
What is coming
13Sep
Harvest and Thanksgiving
The whole parish gathers, zone by zone, with the offering of first fruits.
10:00 am, main church20Sep
Catholic Women Organisation anniversary
Mass followed by the CWO reception in the parish hall.
8:00 am1Oct
Independence Day Mass
A special Mass for the nation, offered for peace and for those who govern.
9:00 am7Oct
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
Rosary procession around the church compound, led by the Legion of Mary.
5:00 pmOur schools
Two schools of the parish
Both were founded by this parish and both keep their own front door. Each has its own page.
Nursery and primary
St. Mary’s Primary School
Opened inside the church compound in 2011 and run with the Handmaids of the Holy Child Jesus. Admissions open each January.
Visit the school
Music and liturgy
St. Mary’s School of Music
Voice, keyboard, and the drums of the parish — ogene, conga and the wooden slit drum. Open to children and adults.
Visit the schoolYour prayer
Have a Mass offered
You can ask for a Mass to be celebrated for a member of your family, for a friend, or for someone who has died. Bring the name and the intention to the parish office during the week, and it will be entered in the register and announced at the altar.