For the past 29 years, the Filipino Community at St Mary’s Catholic Church has been untiringly supportive of the Filipino parishioners, the church and the OFWs through volunteerism, financial assistance and continuous formation. Here is a quick glimpse on how the journey of the Filipino Community in this spiritual home away from home started.
1986
A group of nurses were invited to attend a prayer meeting in Abu Dhabi as a way of thanksgiving and hunger for spiritual growth. At the time, St. Mary’s Catholic Church only had a charismatic group so they accepted the invitation to go from Dubai to Abu Dhabi where they met a group a legionaries. From there, these nurses got their statue of Mother Mary and on their second visit, the “vexillum.”
1987
After getting approval from then parish priest, Fr. Daniel Cerofolini, OFM Cap, the nurses had their first official meeting on a Friday, near the Feast of Assumption of our Blessed Mother of the same year. Comprising of 7-8 members, they formed the first presidium of Legion of Mary in St. Mary’s Church, Dubai and called it the Immaculate Queen of Peace Presidium. The legion’s activities included cleaning of the Church and hospital and jail visitations. The Pilgrim of Mary was practiced as well. As per request or recommendation, the legionaries would bring the statue of our Mother to Catholic homes in Dubai, Jebel Ali, and Sharjah. Active members of the legion were encouraged to recruit new members and follow up on them. Not only were they active in the Legion of Mary, but they also assisted in several of the church’s functions.
1988
A few months later, with God’s grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit and Mother Mary’s guidance, they succeeded in their vision to expand the Legion of Mary and gain more members. They would recruit members and spread the news that St. Mary’s Church now has the newly formed Legion of Mary. In October 1988, they formed the first Filipino choir despite having no formal training or choral experience.
1990
With God’s grace, the legion recruited professional musicians who taught and trained them on the musical aspect of their service. Because of this, they served at weddings, special feasts, sang Christmas carols, and assisted in raising funds for the construction of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. In this manner, they also helped the Filipinos in the Philippines financially when Mount Pinatubo erupted. During the Gulf War, the church was used as a temporary shelter for the refugees. The legion also assisted in accommodating and caring for the refugees and became like family to them.
1992 – 1993
Couples for Christ (CFC) was organized in 1992. The year after, El Shaddai was organized. These three groups (Legion of Mary, CFC, and El Shaddai) worked together to build the first giant Christmas Tree at St. Mary’s.
1994
The first mass wedding was organized through the assistance of the Filipino volunteers and the Legion of Mary. At the time, eighteen guests per couple were allowed in the entourage.
1998
The Filipino Community became more organized as more members joined the group. The Filipino Liturgical Committee was formed though the assistance of Fr. Zacharias Parra, OFM Cap. In the same year, the Filipino Altar Server Group was formed through the assistance of Fr. Eduardo Dumaual, OFM Cap.
2000
The first Simbang Gabi was approved through Fr. Eduardo, and was celebrated at the Boy’s Compound of St. Mary’s Catholic High School. It was also during this year when the IT Group started.
2002
The Filipino Community at St. Mary’s slowly grew in numbers and more visiting Filipino priests came. Fr. Felipe Costelo, OFM Cap, a Filipino priest based in St. Joseph’s Church in Abu Dhabi, was invited to come to Dubai once a month.
2003
The Filipino Community grew even more at the time of Fr. Zacharias Parra, OFM Cap. He is a Filipino priest who was assigned in Oman for six years before he was transferred to Dubai. He is known for being down to earth and can be seen in the marketplaces.
2008
Fr. Antonio Yapchongco, OFM Cap, fondly known as Fr. Gob, was assigned to St. Mary’s Catholic Church and headed the Filipino Community in their journey. He stayed at St. Mary’s for a year before being assigned to St. Michael’s Church in Sharjah.
2009
This year was a remarkable year for the Filipino Community as Fr. Tomasito Veneracion, OFM Cap, was assigned to be the parish priest of St. Mary’s Church. He was the parish priest of the church in Doha before he was transferred to St. Mary’s Church in Dubai. The Filipino Community was very active and participated in church activities and feasts. During this time, the grotto of Mama Mary was built and the main church was renovated. It also showcased the magnificent and unusually conceptualized church altar.
2015
After almost 2 decades of having Filipino priests coming and going through St. Mary’s Church, the Filipino Community continues to be the backbone of the Filipino OFWs and parishioners in the UAE. From the group of Legion of Mary to choir members, the Community has paved way for other subgroups and ministries. They are constantly providing their loving service and assistance to the parish by conducting talks, retreats, pilgrimages, charismatic worships, healing and renewal. To date, the Filipino Community has grown to have more than five hundred servants. They are now being guided by the new Filipino priest, Fr. Chito Bartolo, OFM Cap.
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