Filipinos pack churches in UAE for Simbang Gabi

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Catholic churches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been packed in the past evenings as Filipinos here attend the traditional Philippine nine-day Simbang Gabi, praying for peace, good health and jobs.

St. Mary’s Catholic Church (SMCC) in Oud Metha, Dubai, which could ideally only accommodate a few thousands, has up to 20,000 churchgoers on a weekday and 25,000 on a weekend, according to Jayson Marquez, spokesperson of some 500 volunteers, who have organized themselves into different committees to ensure orderly conduct of the nightly evening Mass. 

The church is right across a mosque.

Marquez said, Simbang Gabi in this emirate are held from 8 pm to 9:30 pm with call time at 7:30 pm. Like the Christmas tradition back in their homeland, Simbang Gabi here started on December 15 and will run until December 23.

Dubai is second home to approximately half a million Filipinos, according to Philippine and UAE officials.

In Abu Dhabi, where there are about 200,000 Filipinos, the St. Joseph’s Cathedral, located in the city center area or some 10 minutes by car from the central bus station, has also been packed, said Em Serrano, popular vlogger. The cathedral can only also accommodate a few thousands but volunteer marshals said there could be up to 10,000 churchgoers every night.

The Simbang Gabi at both churches are being held in the front yard which is more spacious.

Homily

Meantime, Fr. Leny Escalada, in his homily during the first Simbang Gabi, echoed Pope Francis’ call to join in a “symphony of prayers” as he declared 2024, a Year of Prayer “dedicated to rediscovering the great value and absolute need for (it) in (our) personal life.”

The SMCC Dubai Simbang Gabi 2024 theme, in response to the Pope’s declaration, is “Tugon sa ating pagsamo; Katuparan ng Kanyang pangako.” (Response to our pleas; fulfillment of His promise.”

“Napakalahalaga ng panalangin natin para sa iba sapagkat ang ating panalangin ay para sa kanila, hindi para sa atin. Kailangan nating ipagdasal ang iba. Nagdarasal tayo sa Diyos… hindi ibig sabihin na para masunod ng Diyos ang ating kalooban, kundi para malaman natin ang kalooban ng Diyos, para masunod natin ang kanyang kalooban,” Fr. Leny said.

(Our prayers for others are very important because we pray for them, not for ourselves. We need to pray for others. We pray to God not for Him to grant what we wish for, rather for us to know what He wants and that we may follow it.)

Praying for peace, Escalada also asked that UAE leaders be blessed for opening the country to expats, especially overseas Filipinos; and for leaders in the Philippines to help the poor and those with medical conditions.

Tradition

Meantime, many Filipinos here have also been following the tradition of completing the Simbang Gabi and making a wish. Among them is a medical practitioner, Dr. Daffodils Guevarra, who has been in Dubai since 2007.

“One of my wishes is for cancer patients to be blessed with physical, emotional and spiritual strength in their uphill battle against cancer,” Guevarra said in a mix of English and the vernacular. “I have friends and patients unfortunately afflicted with cancer.”

Guevarra said she was able to complete the Simbang Gabi in the past two years.

“I actually make wishes. But to be honest, it’s always a ‘Thank You prayer’ every time, for all the blessings God has given me. I am looking at completing it this year,” the doctor, a popular figure in the Filipino community, said.

She added: “I believe Simbang Gabi is more than asking for wishes to be granted. It’s also a testament and test of one’s faith. It’s not a joke to go nine evenings with the big crowd and the vehicular traffic.

“For what’s spending nine consecutive evenings of prayer for Jesus, right? One or two hours in nine days is absolutely nothing compared to hours and hours of browsing thru Facebook.”

Ji Jarder, visual artist and a cancer patient, said she attends Simbang Gabi online, “but not every time because of my health condition, where at times, my oxygen level would abruptly drop.”

Jarder said she prays for healing. “It has been very tough days lately.”

Wishes granted

Janice Lino Destajo, who runs an accountancy firm with her husband, Dexter, said they are SMCC devotees and have been completing Simbang Gabi since 2010.

“Some of our answered prayers: Our one and only son after four years of waiting, and our business, because we asked for God’s leading.”

Dexter also volunteers at SMCC, Janice said, adding that everyone in the entire family, including siblings, attend prayer meetings.

Marlyn Flores Castro, former contract worker who now runs a number of businesses, including a care box forwarding company, said she has also been completing all nine Simbang Gabi Masses since 2005. Her care box company has been sponsoring the Simbang Gabi for the past 10 years, she said.

“My wish is always for my family and other people. Good health for everyone prosperity to all businesses and more jobs,” she said.

Jobs it is, too, for some Abu Dhabi Filipinos, according to Serrano, who has up to 81,000 followers on Facebook and 51,000 on Instagram. 

“Different people attend the Simbang Gabi here. Students, employees, business owners, people who have just arrived and are on visit visas, looking for jobs,” she said.

Volunteer

So how is it to be a Simbang Gabi volunteer? 

Mischelle S. Panzo, health and wellness advocate, who has been volunteering as usherette assisting churchgoers since 2011, said she considers it a privilege to “share my humble service, time and talent to God’s people as my way of giving back for all the goodness and blessings He has showered upon us.”

Volunteers are the first to come and the last to leave, having to be at church grounds at least two hours before the Mass and stay for another hour or two later on for the clean-up after everyone has left.

Panzo said she is overwhelmed with joy being “witness to the celebration of thousands of Filipino people being together with one faith, one heart accompanied with prayer, hope and gratitude for nine evenings.”

Organizers said they expect the number of people attending Simbang Gabi to swell on December 23, the ninth Mass. Police have also mobilized to control vehicular traffic. The nearby Oud Metha station of Dubai Metro has also been installed with railings for crowd control. – Rappler.com