From 13 to 15 February, Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia, carried out a pastoral visit to Holy Spirit Parish in Ghala, Muscat/ Oman, meeting the parish community in moments of prayer, dialogue, and shared reflection.

In the Footsteps of Saint Francis

The visit began with a particularly meaningful moment: the procession of the relic from the Porziuncola, which remained in the church throughout the visit for the veneration of the faithful.

This marked the first stage of the relic’s peregrinatio across the Vicariate, in the year in which theChurchcommemorates the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. The presence of the relic accompanied the entire visit as a sign of communion and an invitation to rediscover the spirit of fraternity, peace, and love for creation.

The Path of Synodality
A particularly rich moment of reflection took place during the meeting with the Parish Council, where Bishop Paolo invited the community to embrace synodality as the red thread of the current pastoral year. He emphasized that synodality is not primarily about tasks to be completed, but about an attitude of listening, communion, and co-responsibility among all the faithful.

“Synodality indicates a concrete way of living the mystery of the Church through the participation and co-responsibility of all the faithful. The Church, he stressed, is “a mystery of communion,” the Bishop said to the homily of the concluding Mass, sharing his vision with the parish community.

He invited the parish leaders and the faithful “to deepen our understanding of the Church,” and “to reflect on what it means to be a Church on a mission.”

“We are not just migrants; we are witnesses and missionaries of the joy of the Gospel,” the Bishop added, encouraging the community to live this missionary identity in a context marked by cultural and religious diversity, respecting other religions and the laws of the country, while bearing witness to the evangelical values of peace, fraternity, and mutual love.

A ministry of hospitality
He also underlined the pastoral responsibility of reaching out to those who have distanced themselves from the Church, inviting them to rediscover a path of faith and belonging within the community.

In this perspective, Bishop Paolo gave particular importance to developing a ministry of hospitality that takes responsibility for welcoming all the faithful, especially newcomers. “Everyone should feel at home when they come to this parish. The communion we have in Christ must be the criterion of our relationships.”

Meeting the Parish Community
At the very beginning of the visit, Bishop Paolo met with children and young people from the catechism program, celebrating the Eucharist with them and engaging in a lively dialogue. Another important moment with the youngest was the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation, shared by the parish community as a sign of the living faith of the local Church.

During his visit Bishop Paolo also met catechists, parish groups, movements, and associations, as well as representatives of linguistic groups and the many ministries serving the community, expressing gratitude for their dedication and encouraging continued collaboration in the life of the parish.

The visit concluded with the Sunday Eucharistic celebration, gathering the community in thanksgiving for these days of grace, communion, and renewed missionary awareness.  In his homily, the Bishop reminded the faithful: “The word of God we have heard today urges us to follow the Lord not formally but inwardly, with all our heart, walking together with all the people of God.”

The pastoral visit to Holy Spirit Parish in Ghala became a moment of renewed communion and encouragement, accompanied throughout by the presence of the relic of the Porziuncola — a reminder that the Church continues to walk together, inspired by the example of St. Francis of Assisi.