Thank God! Dubai Church to Finally Open February With Covid-19 Safety Measures Published January 31st, 2021 - 06:01 GMT
St mary s catholic church interior in Dubai. (Shutterstock/ File Photo)
Highlights
Seniors above 60 years old and children below 12 are discouraged from booking attendance..
Dubai resident Anna Dio couldn’t remember the last time she had been to church after Covid-19 moved masses online. On Friday, she learnt about the good news. After several months of closure, St Mary’s Church home to one of the biggest congregations of Catholics in the country is reopening its doors for Holy Mass services on Monday, February 1.
Christmas 2020: Filipinos’ virtual Simbang Gabi in UAE starts tonight ashwani@khaleejtimes.com Filed on December 15, 2020
The usual Simbang Gabi scene in the Philippines, pre-Covid times. (Alamy image used for illustrative purpose)
Overseas Filipinos are also welcome to attend novena masses that will be live-streamed from the Philippines.
While Filipinos’ Simbang Gabi (novena masses) will never be the same without the smell of
bibingka (rice cakes) and
puto bumbong (purple rice cakes rolled in coconut) on the streets, expats are still looking forward to their nine-day Christmas tradition, which starts tonight.
In Abu Dhabi, St Joseph’s Cathedral will be telecasting the service online from tonight (December 15) until December 23, every 7.30pm. Simbang Gabi officially starts every December 16 and runs until December 24 but anticipated masses are usually held so some would begin the tradition on the evening of December 15.