On November 4, the priests serving in the parishes in Oman gathered together at St. Peter and Paul in Ruwi, Muscat, for a time of reflection, sharing, and coordination, with Bishop Paolo Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia.

Opening the meeting, Bishop Paolo recalled the words of Pope Leo during the private audience to the bishops of the Conference of Latin Bishops of the Arab Regions (CELRA), held in Rome last September. He highlighted the passage about smallness: “Do not be afraid of your smallness. The fruitfulness of the Church is not measured in numbers, structures or resources, but in fidelity to the Gospel. A small community, if rooted in Christ, can be a valuable presence.”

Part of the meeting was dedicated to matters regarding the organization of the parish life - communities, groups, pastoral activities. The second part of the meeting was dedicated to specific initiatives like TUFF Retreat, Synodal Process and the coming Jubilee of Sts. Peter and Paul Church.