I am blessed that I was able to watch the World Cup matches for third place (Saturday night) and finals (Sunday night) and still completed my ‘Simbang Gabi’. How is this so?
Last Saturday at 5 am, we attended the 3rd ‘Simbang Gabi’ in Dibba which was almost an hour’s drive from Fujairah city proper where we stayed overnight after attending the 2nd ‘Simbang Gabi’ at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help held at 8:15 Friday night. Both masses were conducted by well-loved visiting Filipino priest Fr. JBoy Gonzales, SJ., who is based in Davao City as Director, Ignatian Spirituality and Formation Office of Ateneo De Davao University.
So that Saturday evening back at home in Jebel Ali I was able to watch the match between Croatia and Morocco for 3rd place from 7 to 9 pm with the ‘Simbang Gabi’ mass happening at St. Francis Church at 8 pm. We attended our 1st ‘Simbang Gabi’ there.
Next day Sunday was a day of obligation. We heard the 9 am mass at St. Francis Church which we considered as our 4th ‘Simbang Gabi’. In the evening was the match between Argentina and France which was the best World Cup finals I had watched on TV, from 1994 when Brazil won over Italy up to 2018 when France beat Croatia. My dream of watching even a single match in-person at the World Cup remains. Next one will be in 2026 in the US, Mexico and Canada. Inshallah.
The next paragraphs will be about two groups which are both related with my topics.
There is a well-established football club of ‘kababayans’ (compatriots) in the UAE. It is called Pinoy Futbol Club (PFC)-UAE which was founded in January 2011. I had joined a number of their practices or ‘skirmishes’ at Safa Park in the early part of 2012 when the winter weather was at its best. There I met Alex Grande who was club president for four years. Till now he plays goalkeeper under the senior team. Alex works with the Crisis and Disaster Division of Dubai Ambulance.
According to Alex, the PFC-UAE today has almost 300 members, with a number of ex-professional players from the Philippine Football Team called ‘Azkals’ and some commercial clubs back home. There are also ex-school varsity players and coaches. They practice regularly every Saturday morning from 5 to 7 at the Corner Football Pitch near Al Bustan Center in Al Qusais, Dubai. They had organized and participated in several tournaments like the Regional Shield Tournament, President’s Cup and the Asian Games. The current president is Mark Andelle Buligan. The club’s Facebook page is Pinoy FC (Pinoy Futbol Club).
‘Simbang Gabi’ at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) in Fujairah first started in 2012 as anticipated mass from December 15 to 23 at 8 pm with then visiting Filipino priest Fr. Ricky Cabugsa. OLPH parish’s outstation church is in Dibba where the ‘Simbang Gabi’ was also introduced at the same period and held at 5 am.
According to Marrie Bautista-David, who initiated the 2012 ‘Simbang Gabi’, this year there are many volunteer groups involved, namely OLPH FILCOM Volunteers where the choir, lectors, lay ministers and altar servers come from, and the Fujairah chapters of Couples for Christ and El Shaddai.
“Every night we have the Filipino Food Winter Festival, which comprises of Filipino-owned restaurants in Fujairah such as Grab n Go and Pares Avenue as well as individual Filipinos who sell Bibingka, Puto Bumbong, BBQ and many other Simbang Gabi staple food items that make you remind of Christmas in the Philippines,” Marrie shared.
Another highlight she mentioned was the attendance of other nationalities in Dibba who have appreciated and embraced ‘Simbang Gabi’ that’s why the mass there is in English but the songs are in Filipino.
Marrie further said: “We, the Filipino Community (FILCOM) in OLPH Church in Fujairah, are very grateful to our Parish Priest, Fr. Rajan, for being so supportive in all our preparations for this ‘Simbang Gabi’ especially for inviting a Filipino priest. We are also grateful to Fr. JBoy for saying ‘Yes’ to our invitation despite his busy schedule and commitments in the Philippines.”
Parishioners are not only from Fujairah and Dibba but also from Khorfakkan, Kalba, and Masafi along the eastern coast. “The parishioners look forward excitedly to the daily ‘Simbang Gabi’ themes and life realization messages of Fr. JBoy who is able to capture the hearts and minds of the parishioners of all ages by his wit, sense of humor, and most importantly by his well-explained and meaningful homilies,” Marrie added.
If you have been attending the ‘Simbang Gabi’ every day and are reading this today, Tuesday, then congratulations you had reached your 6th day. Merry Christmas dear readers of The Global Filipino Magazine. Always look forward to having Hope, Peace, Joy and Love in your respective lives as well as in the lives of your loved ones. God bless everyone.