Tens of thousands of Filipino worshippers gathered at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai on Monday to attend this year's penultimate Simbang Gabi Mass.
Organisers said the 8pm outdoor service could draw more than 20,000 people to the church complex in Oud Metha.
The crowd for the ceremony, led by Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, was so large that big screens were set up across various parts of the complex so everyone present could see.
Simbang Gabi, which means “night mass” in Tagalog, is a nine-day series of Roman Catholic masses traditionally observed by Filipinos in the days leading up to Christmas. It began in the UAE on December 15 and ends on December 23.
The church grounds have been decorated for the seasonal occasion, with Christmas trees, incense candles and traditional Filipino parol lanterns.
For many Filipinos working overseas, Simbang Gabi provides a vital connection to home, with some worshippers taking up seats for the mass from early morning.
Organisers said about 20,000 of the faithful were set to attend the service. Antonie Robertson / The National
Honouring tradition
“It is like feeling you are home back in the Philippines,” said UAE resident Fritz Arthur Armada, a Filipino. “It is a wonderful experience – spiritually and culturally – for us. Our obligation is to fulfil those nine days so that somehow God will grant what we have prayed for. This has been handed down for generations.”
The UAE is home to an estimated 660,000 Filipinos and large crowds have gathered nightly not only at St Mary’s but at churches across the country, although heavy rain last week disrupted some services.
About 30,000 people
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