Dubai: Churches across the UAE are gearing up to commemorate the Holy Week this weekend, including beefing up security in some churches where hundreds of thousands of faithfuls are expected to gather to mark the occasion.
The Holy Week, also known as Passion Week, marks the passion of Jesus Christ that led him to willingly die on the cross, followed by his burial and resurrection three days later, according to the Christian faith.
It starts on Palm Sunday, which this year fell on March 25, and ends on Resurrection Sunday, more popularly known as Easter Sunday, on April 1.
The Holy Week witnesses one of the largest gatherings of Christians in the UAE, aside from Christmas. The St Mary’s Catholic Church in Dubai is expected to have 100,000 parishioners this weekend.
To better manage crowds in the compound, Catholic priests in Dubai urged them to avoid carrying bags and lunch boxes with cutlery to church this weekend as part of the security measures in the region’s largest parish.
St Mary’s Church is holding four masses on Maundy Thursday (March 29) beginning 3.30pm until midnight in English and Arabic. On Good Friday, nine masses will be held starting at 5am.
On Saturday, the Easter Vigil masses will begin at 3pm. Eight masses in English will be held beginning 5.30am on Sunday.
Passion Week message
Meanwhile, Rev Harrison Chinnakumar, chaplain of the Holy Trinity Church Dubai, urged Christians to reflect on the message of the cross.
“The Christian message centres around the cross. God loves us so much that He gave His son Jesus Christ who gave Himself as a sacrifice for us. That’s the basic foundation of the Christian faith,” Rev Chinnakumar told Gulf News.
“The message of Jesus is love. Love God and love your neighbour, even your enemies, as yourself. The Christians who live in the UAE should show this love for others through their actions, through their lives. It’s not more on preaching but on living a life filled with love.”
The Holy Trinity Church compound hosts 125 different congregations. Around 20,000 are expected to come on Friday. They will also hold an Easter Vigil service on Saturday at 7.30pm, followed by four services beginning at 5.30am on Sunday.
In the St Joseph’s Cathedral in Abu Dhabi, four masses from 4.30am will be held on Thursday followed by Good Friday service and Easter Vigil on Saturday. Some 21 masses in different languages will be held on Sunday.
The church will also be live-streaming its services for parishioners.
Scores of services will also be held at St Andrew’s Church and in the more than 50 congregations worshipping there. On Easter Sunday night, The Golden Gospel Choir from the US will be singing in a special service at 6pm.
Rev Canon Andy Thompson of St Andrew’s Church emphasised that this weekend’s message is about hope.
“We live in a world which is seen to be more scary and more broken, with more injustice, polarisation, and darkness and that is our Good Friday when Jesus met the injustice and brutality of the world. But that’s not the end of the story. There’s always hope. The Easter Sunday is an invitation for us as we are called to be a resurrection people, a life-giving people, a people who will look to new beginnings,” Rev Thompson said.
