Bishop completes his Final Pastoral visit to Parishes.

Bishop Luciano Capelli has finally completed his pastoral visit to our eight parishes as he prepares for his retirement as a shepherd for the diocese.

He visited the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish at Wagina in June and visited the Holy Rosary Parish of Nila and St Eusebius Noro parish in October.

While in Wagina, he had the privilege to visit seaweed farming and observed the effect of climate change that affected the coastal areas.

On November 16th, he took a plane to Taro airstrip, boarded a boat, traveled to Moli, and returned to Taro. He then traveled to Sirovanga, and Voruvoru parishes.

He visited the schools at Moli on Choiseul and Nila in the Shortlands. He also had the opportunity to visit Maleai village in Shortlands and continued to celebrate the feast day of their Parish of the Holy Rosary.

The beautiful and very touching moment was when he celebrated the Thanksgiving Masses, where about 450 children received their Confirmation. Part of those who received their Confirmation were Edward Bakabio in his 90s; a pagan from Malaita and Miss Susan Mabe who is in her 70s and was converted from the United Church.

Bishop’s visitation was to bring encouragement and hope to those who were involved in pastoral work and all people of the parishes and to have time to talk with his priests and individual.

During this period, he celebrated his birthday and his episcopal anniversary here in St. Peters Cathedral Gizo. Bishop Luciano Capelli sdb then announced his retirement in his episcopal retirement letter to the Pope.

Celebrating his birthday, the bishop asked everyone to have a dream. He clarified that without a dream there is no energy to go through the challenges of life, however, he encourages us to have the energy to go through.

 “There are so many dreams that, with the help of each other we can achieve.”

 He said that without resources but because of dreams, many realities, are built by all of us in communion.

In his messages, he continued to ask us to promote and highlight three words promoting Synodality. These are Communion, Participation, and Mission.

He also reminded us of a sentence he said fifteen years ago during his installment as a bishop, telling us he would spend his last breath here in the diocese.

He also reminded us that we are his family, he felt at home, and his home is to be with us.

Bishop Luciano Capelli sdb is now 75 years old and awaiting his retirement to be accepted by the Holy Father.