Churches across UAE hold Easter Vigil services on Saturday
Author: Angel Tesorero
Publication Date: 8/4/2023
Source: Khaleej Times
Several services are being held across various churches in the UAE for Easter Vigil services on Saturday.
At St Mary's Catholic Church on Oud Metha Road, Dubai, which is believed to be the biggest parish in the world that serves over 300,000 churchgoers, thousands of Christian expats attended services that were held in various languages, including Urdu, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Konkani, Singhalese, Arabic, English and Filipino.
Prayers were offered for “spiritual renewal and new beginnings.” Dubai resident and Filipino expat Dr. Florence Bucsit, who also works as specialist anaesthesiologist at International Modern Hospital (IMH), told Khaleej Times: “Easter is a time of spiritual renewal and new beginnings. We take time to reflect on the importance of this time of year and pray for peace and joy for those we care about.
“As we come together to enjoy the festivities of the season, let us also remember to send our love and prayers to those who are not with us at this time, especially those we have lost during the Covid pandemic,” she added.
“Three years have passed since the pandemic and now we are on the way to a strong recovery, thanks to God,” noted Indian expatriate Lorna Coutinho, a parishioner at St Mary’s Catholic Church.
Special time
“Easter is a very special time for Christians. This brought us forgiveness from God so we could feel together with God again,” said Fr Abin Oomelil, vicar at St Mary's Jacobite Syrian Soonoro Patriarchal Cathedral in Sharjah.
“I pray for everyone to be simply kind to one another. God loves all of us and being kind to one another is the next best thing to emulate God’s love for us all,” added Dr. Reena Riza De Guzman, specialist obstetrics and gynaecology at IMH.
For Indian expat, Lydia Cutinha, a nurse educator at NMC Royal Hospital DIP, Easter is about “giving and selflessness. I do simple acts of kindness and service to my patients and that makes a difference, comfort, encouragement and hope to them.”
She added: “This Easter I will celebrate with my loved ones at home, and bring treats to my patients. I have organised a theme baking event together with my husband and play Easter egg hunt with my children, followed by enjoying a feast with sweets.”
Link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/churches-across-uae-hold-easter-vigil-services-on-saturday
