Residents collecting their Papal Mass ticket at the St. Mary's Church in Dubai.
Dubai - Thousands have gathered within the grounds of St Mary's Church to receive their tickets for the Papal Mass.
Published: Tue 29 Jan 2019, 5:57 PM
Shocked. Elated. Excited. These were the sentiments of many on Monday evening, as worshippers from the Catholic community in Dubai received the first batch of physical tickets for the upcoming papal mass in Abu Dhabi on February 5.
As the thousands-strong crowd waited in queue outside the St Mary's Church in Oud Mehta for hours ahead of the 6pm distribution phase on Monday, they became one of the first batch of residents to receive their tickets to the much-anticipated mass.
And once the physical confirmation was in hand, it was a sigh of relief for many.
With ticket distribution lines separated into community subsets to avoid rush, one of the first residents to receive her physical ticket was Maya Pereira, an Indian expat. "I'm in shock that I got a ticket within the stadium grounds. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I am so thankful to be part of this experience," she told Khaleej Times.
An estimated one million Catholics in the UAE are eagerly awaiting the visit of their religious head, but only 135,000 will be able attend the mass at the Zayed Sports City.
Of these, just 40,000 will be able to get inside the city stadium. And parents of two, Thomas and Ruby Elsa Anthony, were among the lucky ones.
"We're feeling shocked but very lucky. I can't explain how happy we are that we will be inside the stadium. We're very blessed and it will be an incredible experience for our children," the couple said.
Staring back at the duo from the ticket was the famous faithful quote: "Make me a channel of your peace." And after studying it a little more, they came to know that they'll be sitting in Section 11, Row 6 and Seat 1, 2, 3 and 4 - a combination that will forever remain engraved in their memory.
Deanne Ponnoth was another lucky resident who received a spot within the stadium, which means she'll have one of the best views of Pope Francis.
"Many are surprised about the pope's visit to the UAE, but actually, I'm not. The UAE is so open, accepting and has such good relations with the rest of the world. Not only that, it has a strong Catholic community, so it's going to be an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Living in Dubai for 10 years, church volunteer and ticket distributor Venicia Cardoza told Khaleej Times she never thought this day would come in her lifetime.
"I found out just one day back that my tickets were confirmed. It was such blessed news and news that will stay with me for a long time. As a volunteer, too, I feel honoured to be bringing a smile on peoples' faces when they receive their ticket."
Those collecting tickets are asked to specify if transport is required. If so, the pick up hub will be confirmed on the ticket they receive.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
Thomas Anthony and Ruby Elsa Anthony.
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