On Saturday, March 1, 2025, Latin Patriarchal Vicar in Jordan Bishop Iyad Twal celebrated his first Pontifical Mass following his ordination at the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist in Madaba.

Prior to the Holy Mass, he was welcomed by Patriarch Fouad Twal,  Patriarchal Vicar in Jerusalem Bishop William Shomali, Patriarchal Vicar in Nazareth Bishop Rafic Nahra, Patriarchal Vicar in Cyprus Bishop Bruno Farina, Apostolic Vicar in Damascus Bishop Hanna Jallouf, Bishop Jamal Khader of Djibouti, Bishop Boulos Marcuzzo, and Bishop Maroun Lahham.

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He was also welcomed by parish priest Fr. Tariq Abu Hanna, Vicar of the Custody of the Holy Land Fr. Ibrahim Faltas, a group of Latin Patriarchate priests, nuns, dignitaries, pastoral and church figures, and a crowd of believers from the city of Madaba and from parishes from various parts of the Kingdom and abroad.

At the outset of the Holy Mass, Fr. Tareq Abu Hanna welcomed Bishop Twal and pleaded with Lord Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, and Blessed Mary, the Mother of the Church, to support the new bishop in his new mission through thick and thin so that he may ignite in the believers the fire of faith and love.

After presenting a briefing on the stages of the bishop’s life, namely his priestly upbringing, and pastoral, educational, and administrative experiences, he addressed Bishop Twal saying, " We pray that you will fulfill your mission, service, and testimony that you received from Lord Jesus."

After reading verses of the Holy Bible, Fr. Imad Twal delivered a homily in which he pointed out that “the bishop is called upon to  provide sacrifice and to be an earnest promoter of the Word of God.” He lifted up prayer pleading that Bishop Twal will be filled with wisdom and strength, so that he may lead the Latin Church in Jordan in a spirit of communion and unity, with the extended family of the Latin Patriarchate, with His Beatitude the Patriarch, the bishops, the priests, the nuns and the faithful, and so that his pastoral service may bear fruit in spreading the light of faith and strengthening the spirit of love and peace.

Stressing that the new bishop faces important educational challenges, including the family crisis, the impact of the concept of relativity on values ​​and morals, as well as the future of Christian schools, and Catholic schools in particular, the promotion of good citizenship, and the role of Christians in society, he added that the bishop—according to the Catholic Church teachings--is called upon to be "a shepherd close to his people, a servant and not a master, a leader and not an administrator, and a witness to the Gospel with humility and mercy."

For his part, Bishop Iyad Twal gave an impromptu speech in which he thanked all those who attended his first Episcopal Mass. He displayed a Cross made of mosaic stones--which is a miniature copy of a cross dating back to the late 4th or early 5th century that adorns a mosaic floor of the Church of Mount Nebo in Madaba--and noted that the cross represents infinity.

 He continued that the Cross embodies the fact that Christians are rooted in this city and in this homeland, and that this cross has been a witness for centuries that Madaba for “the love of Christ,” and that the grace of the priesthood and the episcopate which continues uptoour present time reflects the love of this great city for Christ.

He pointed out that it is a responsibility on everyone’s shoulders to continue to love Jesus Christ, and to remain witnesses to our Christian faith in beloved and precious Jordan, with pride and honor in our Jordanian identity under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Ibn Abdullah.