Silenced Altars: Easter Masses in Dubai Cancelled Amidst War

In the heart of Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Residence, the usually bustling St. Mary’s Catholic Church stands silent this Easter. The grand wooden doors, which would typically be thrown open to welcome the faithful, remain closed. The reason? A war thousands of miles away has reached into the Gulf, disrupting the holy week traditions of Dubai’s Maltese community.

From Mdina to Dubai: A Maltese Exodus

Malta’s historic ties with the Gulf stretch back to the 1970s when the first Maltese expats arrived in Dubai. Today, the Maltese community in the UAE numbers around 5,000, with many calling Dubai home. They’ve brought with them a piece of Malta, celebrating feasts, traditions, and of course, Easter, in the desert metropolis.

Easter in Dubai usually means packed churches, processions, and family gatherings. But this year, the shadow of war has fallen over the Gulf. The conflict in Yemen, which has seen a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE fighting Houthi rebels, has escalated. On March 26, a Saudi-led airstrike hit a Yemeni hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières, drawing international condemnation.

Cancellations and Concerns

In response to the escalating conflict, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation issued a travel advisory, urging its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Yemen. For Dubai’s Maltese community, this meant cancelling Easter plans.

“We’ve had to cancel our annual Easter procession and most of our masses,” says Father Joe Borg, parish priest at St. Mary’s. “It’s a difficult time for our community. Easter is about hope and renewal, but the war in Yemen casts a dark shadow over that.”

Father Joe, who hails from Żurrieq in Malta, is no stranger to conflict. He served as a chaplain in the Maltese Armed Forces during the 1990s. But he’s never had to grapple with a situation like this. “This is different,” he says. “We’re not under immediate threat, but the uncertainty is unsettling.”

Adapting to Adversity

Despite the cancellations, the Maltese community in Dubai is finding ways to adapt. Many are tuning into live streams of Easter masses from Malta, including the traditional Good Friday processions in towns like Żebbuġ and Żejtun.

Some are also using the situation as an opportunity to raise awareness about the conflict. “We’re encouraging our community to pray for peace in Yemen,” says Maria Azzopardi, a Maltese expat who’s lived in Dubai for 15 years. “We’re also donating to humanitarian organizations working in the region.”

Maria, who’s from Birkirkara, adds, “Easter might look different this year, but our spirit remains undimmed. We’ll celebrate in our own way, and we’ll hope for peace.”

Back at St. Mary’s, Father Joe is philosophical. “Easter is about resurrection,” he says. “It’s about finding hope in the midst of despair. That’s what we’re trying to do, even in these difficult times.”

As the sun sets over Dubai’s skyline, the lights in St. Mary’s remain dim. But the church is not silent. The prayers of its congregation, carried on the winds of change, echo across the city and out into the world, a beacon of hope amidst the storm.