Christians all over the world observe 2nd November as All Souls Day. It is a day to reminisce the precious moments that we cherished with our loved ones while they were living. It is a day to visit the cemeteries and pay homage and to pray for their souls.
In Dubai too, it is a tradition to visit the cemetery and bless the graves and pray for the departed souls on this day every year. However, this year it was an unique experience as the parishioners of St. Mary's Catholic Church, Dubai for the first time in its history celebrated a Holy Mass at the nearly 40 year old Al Jaddaf Christian Cemetery which was the first Christian burial ground in Dubai. A bus was arranged to facilitate the parishioners to commute to and from the cemetery.
As one entered this holy and peaceful place it was indeed touching to see many of the graves decorated by their near and dear ones with flowers and lit candles which added light to the surroundings together with the setting sun. A make-shift altar was set up in the middle of the cemetery for the celebration of the Holy Mass.
The prayer service commenced at 4.30 pm with the recitation of the Holy Rosary and was followed by Holy Mass. The melodious voices of the congregation contributed to the meaningful celebration of the Holy Eucharist by Rev. Fr. Tomasito Veneracion, Parish Priest of St. Mary's Catholic Church who was joined by Rev. Fr. John Weir, Senior Chaplain of Holy Trinity Anglican Church Dubai. During the liturgy, Fr. John delivered a short homily and spoke on the relationship of saints and souls and pronounced "Alleluia, rejoice, Christ is risen, Alleluia. Indeed He is risen from the dead, Alleluia". Truly, this is the hope of eternal life after death. He stated that all mankind has to pass through a fine line - as a saint or as a soul. It is a time when we remember the death of our Lord Jesus which is the pillar of our faith and His resurrection which holds the true meaning of Christianity.
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