The St. Mary's Catholic Church in Dubai. ARCHIVE

Masses and church activities at two major Catholic churches in Dubai have been suspended starting Friday (April 3), with parishioners urged to stay away from church premises until further notice. In separate announcements, St. Mary’s Catholic Church Dubai and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church confirmed that all on-site services and activities would be halted in compliance with directives from government regulatory authorities. The churches said they would remain closed to visitors, including during Holy Week, one of the most significant periods in the Christian calendar. At St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Good Friday services scheduled at 6pm on Friday (April 3) and the Easter vigil service at 8pm on Saturday (April 4) will instead be streamed online through the parish’s official YouTube channel, allowing worshippers to observe the solemn occasion from home. At St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Jebel Ali, a notice said that the church will be closed. “Parishioners are requested to refrain from visiting the church premises, in the interest of safety and community well-being,” St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church said in a notice. Holy Week, considered the holiest week for Christians, commemorates the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year, Palm Sunday was marked on Sunday (March 27), while Easter Sunday will be celebrated on Sunday (April 5).
Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which oversees Catholic churches across the UAE, Oman, and Yemen, has issued a statement regarding the suspension.
"Unfortunately, the current circumstances required the moving of the liturgies online and the closure of churches in Dubai and Jebel Ali. We sincerely hope to return to celebrating together with all of you in our churches soon. It is certainly painful not to be able to take part in person in the beautiful and rich celebrations of the Holy Week. We thank the Lord that the liturgies can be streamed live, allowing everyone to participate spiritually," Bishop Martinelli said.
"I invite you to offer the difficulties of these days in union with Christ so that this sacrifice may bear fruit for the good of the Church and for peace in the world," he urged, adding, "We pray incessantly for an end to the war and for peace and reconciliation." ICA/Expat Media
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