Jebel Ali Parishioners Bid Farewell to their Pastor

Fr. Reinhold Sahner, Parish Priest of St. Francis of Assisi Church, Jebel Ali, bid goodbye to the UAE and his mission in the region. Fr. Jozef Timmers has been appointed to hold the charge of the parish until a new parish priest is appointed.

Fr. Reinhold’s mission in the UAE involved pastoral care of the German-speaking community in the Gulf countries. During his first three years in the UAE, he lived and worked from Abu Dhabi, after which he was assigned to the parish of St. Francis of Assisi Church.

In a farewell meeting held on zoom, December 8,
Fr. Reinhold said the parish entrusted to him had become like his family. “A parish is not just the parish priest, it’s the parishioners", he added. He urged the parishioners to continue the same spirit. “We began with great joy five years ago and I hope you will continue on that road to the future.”
The parishioners noted how from the beginning, Fr. Reinhold was a model of change and inclusion within the parish. He was happy to be of help to those who felt excluded. He had many people outside the “usual circles”, as he put it, to come forward to help the parish community.

He initiated the annual “Know Your Parish”- an event to get parishioners involved in the church by providing information on various communities and the parish life. It helped to bring the parish together.

Fr. Reinhold reached out to people of all age groups within the parish. The youth ministry is an example of this inclusion. His concern for the youth was expressed in his eagerness to know their needs, listen to them and to give them responsibilities. He established the Youth Council. “The youngsters are my concern. They are a part of our parish and mustn’t be looked at as only being young. That is my vision for the future", he said.
He elected youth aged from 16-21 to lead the Youth Ministry. They were helped by adults in the Advisory Board to continue the catechism of confirmed youth within the parish.

He also helped to bring the senior citizens together in fellowship while also educating them in areas like modern technology.  “We need to educate our parish, not just catechize", he said when referring to the Senior Citizen Ministry.

From big to small, Fr. Reinhold has always displayed an example of “loving your neighbour as yourself.” His many initiatives helped parishioners grow in holiness and reach out to many outside the parish community.
He encouraged the youth from the Malayalam community to visit the Jebel Ali Police Station in an effort to get to know the police and their work during the summer camp held last year. “The police officers were happy and surprised to see that a community would come forward to learn more about their work,” he observed. The trip was aimed at encouraging the youth to be supportive of authorities who work for the common good of society.

Fr. Reinhold noted his happiness to have been able to make an impact on his parishioners during his time here. He said he couldn’t express his gratitude adequately to all for their support. “Thank you all for your love, care, generosity and patience. You are such wonderful people. I loved working with you all especially with the families and the ministries.”

Fr. Reinhold plans to leave for his home country, Germany, before taking up his next pastoral ministry in Singapore. In the meantime, he hopes to get back to his hobbies of reading, writing and love for the theatre and stage. “Many of you don’t know but I played on the Royal Theatre Stage in Denmark", he said. He looks forward to delving more into his creative side once in Singapore. “I hope to become more childish and playful as I get older. I hope to be filled with more childlike innocence."

In an emotional farewell, besides Fr Reinhold, several parishioners expressed their appreciation and gratitude to their pastor. They wished him well for his future ministry.

"I’d like to thank Fr. Reinhold very much”, shared the German community catechist, “He leaves behind a big vacuum, and we will miss him much.”

Yet another parishioner said, “I’d like to thank father for his love and acceptance. Coming to church was like coming home because he built us all as a family.”

The parish couldn’t host a proper send-off for Fr. Reinhold due to the pandemic and retractions. However, the parishioners assured him their gratitude and prayers.

by Stephanie Joseph