A Moment of Joy despite the Pandemic at St. Joseph’s Cathedral

For many, this year is a tumultuous one, to say the least. With lives put on hold, many face an uncertain predicament. Amidst these bleak times, 248 youth found a reason to find joy as they received their Sacrament of Confirmation at the end of August in St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Abu Dhabi. 

After a successful event that ensured both the safety and well-being of the candidates, the Church now prepares with the approval of the authorities to minister the Sacrament of First Holy Communion to 341 eagerly awaiting children throughout September till the beginning of October. 

Much effort has been put behind the scenes in preparation for these ceremonies and so we sit down with Sr. Shelja Poopady, a religious sister belonging to the Carmelite Sisters of Saint Teresa, and the administrator of the Catechism Program at the Cathedral, to learn more.

The sacramental journey of a Catholic is perhaps a key phase of their lives. Receiving the sacraments not only completes their belonging to the Church but also supplies them with the grace needed to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Naturally, when such an important event was put on hold with churches closed everywhere earlier this year, children along with their parents were distressed. 

However, as the months passed by and with the commendable efforts of the UAE Government, the restrictions eased and the Cathedral in Abu Dhabi was given special permission to reopen and conduct sacramental ceremonies over socially distanced Masses. After long months of closure, this was indeed joyful news for everyone. “All of a sudden when we came to know that we can now have Confirmation and Communion, that was the greatest joy that I ever had”, shares Sr. Shelja, who is passionate about her work in the faith formation of children. 

Compared to her ten years of the previous service in the parish, this year entailed much more but Sr. Shelja and her team immediately swung into action without missing a beat. “It wasn’t an easy task but I am very grateful to the Lord for allowing us to have these sacraments even during the midst of the lockdown,” she said. With many safety regulations and restrictions to adhere to, that meant a packed liturgical schedule. The guidance of Bishop Paul Hinder and Fr. Johnson, the Parish Priest was crucial, and the planning process went smoothly. The parish was equipped to serve the faithful successfully while also ensuring their safety and well-being. 

Given the need for social distancing, the Confirmation Masses were scheduled to be held on two consecutive Thursdays and Saturdays of August, with the 248 candidates segregated into four batches consisting of 80 confirmands each. Parents attending were requested to be the only family present. Two common sponsors were chosen from the Parish Council for each batch. 

Due to the shortage of time, it was decided to distribute the delegation of responsibilities to four other priests instead of the Bishop, who would have been responsible for administering the sacrament under normal circumstances. Fr. Troy de Los Santos, Vicar General, Fr. Valerian Fernandes, Chancellor, Fr. Johnson K., the Parish Priest and Fr. Peter Fernando, the Family Ministry Coordinator were delegated to administer the Sacrament while the Bishop himself, presided as the main celebrant. 

From being always present to help with online classes, to attending online seminars, parents have been persistent in lending their support to the catechists in helping their children walk through their journey of faith. “I admire the parents who let their children be in the hands of people like us, in the Church thinking that we would take care of them. They were at peace,” says Sr. Shelja. 

Perhaps the ones who missed the best part of it all were the catechists, who spent over two years with the children, preparing them in their walk to becoming mature Christians. Sr. Shelja expressed her appreciation and gratitude for all their efforts in willingly teaching the children, wholeheartedly carrying them in their faith journey despite the sudden change of circumstances. 

All in all, it was a successful event for the first of its kind but there is still more to come as Sr. Shelja and her team now prepare rigorously to plan the next event, ministering the Sacrament of First Holy Communion to 9-10-year-olds. When asked what was her anticipation like, Sr. Shelja admits to feeling a bit nervous about how the little kids might carry themselves. “There’s a lot of cooperation from the parents, and that’s very helpful.” 

She aims to make the journey as easy as possible, allowing the children to be at ease without any complications. The scheduled Masses will be carried out in much the same way as the Confirmation Masses, maintaining a no-contact policy and reduced gathering. The children are only too eager to receive their sacrament, so she has reason to hope that they will willingly listen to and follow the instructions given.