Tens of thousands of Filipinos celebrate Simbang Gabi mass in Dubai

Nine-day tradition leading up to Christmas is nearing its end

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  Filipinos attend Simbang Gabi at St Mary's Catholic Church in Dubai. All photos: Antonie Robertson / The National

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  More than 20,000 people were expected for the mass on December 22

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  Maricris De Leon, centre, with her family and friends at Simbang Gabi at St Mary's Catholic Church

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  The service also involves Filipino traditions such as favourite festive meals to celebrate Christmas

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  Simbang Gabi is a series of masses celebrated on the run-up to Christmas Day. There are nine in total

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  The service on December 22 was celebrated by Bishop Paolo Martinelli, the Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia

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  A choir performs at the Simbang Gabi mass in Dubai

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  Christmas devotions are very popular and the faithful arrive to take their seats from early in the day

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  The church was decorated for Christmas

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  Crowds pack St Mary's Catholic Church for the service

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  Simbang Gabi ends on December 23

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.

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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 attended St Mary's on one of the nights Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presided over the ceremony.

Hundreds of thousands are expected in total across all Simbang Gabi services in the UAE over the course of the nine days.

Maricris De Leon, who attended with her family and friends on Monday, said the tradition was vital for them. “We are completing all nine days,” she said. “It is important for us as a Filipino family.”

Israel Dulay, part of the Ms De Leon's group, said many worshippers attend all nine services because they have petitions or prayers they hope will be answered.

“I’ve been telling my daughter that it’s not just a tradition but a matter of giving back and having the experience of being close to God,” he said. “It is like a devotion. Hopefully tomorrow we are able to complete the nine days.”

Simbang Gabi often incorporates traditions such as Filipino food. Antonie Robertson / The National

Close to home

The tradition began in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period hundreds of years ago, when workers such as farmers and fishermen attended early morning mass before starting a long day of work. It is also known by its Spanish name, Misa de Gallo (Mass of the Rooster).

“I grew up waking up at 4am to attend this Mass,” said Mr Arthur Armada. “Now I’m here in Dubai, thinking I am far from home, yet I still have that feeling of home. It is like a reunion.”

The timings have been adapted over the years. Filipino expatriates first brought the tradition to Dubai in the early 2000s and it has shifted to evening services.

“Most of the people here are working people,” said Jayson Marquez, Filipino community servant leader. “General office hours are from 8am to 5pm, so that’s why we hold it in the evening. It is attended by most of the Filipinos here in Dubai. They are such a devoted people.”

Cathy Penaflor, a Filipino community assistant servant leader and secretary, said the service was both spiritual and traditional.

“It has become a way of life, celebrated in all parishes and chapels across the Philippines,” she said. “So wherever there are Filipinos outside the Philippines, and we are able to speak to a priest and have it celebrated, then it is done.”

Simbang Gabi in the UAE is supported by the Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, which co-ordinates the nine-day series. In his homily on Monday, Bishop Martinelli described it as a “beautiful tradition”.

“All of you are fully part of our local church, made up of faithful from more than 100 countries, and we are called to journey together, sharing our spiritual gifts,” he said.

“At the same time, it is beautiful to remain faithful to the traditions of your home countries that help you grow in faith and strengthen your sense of belonging to the church.”