On Sunday, June 29, 2025, Father Pablo David Martínez Espinola, a member of the Institute of the Schoenstatt Fathers, was appointed parish priest of the Parish of Saints Francis and Catherine, patrons of Italy, replacing Fr. Andrés Rodríguez, who will return to Argentina (Córdoba) at the end of his mission in Rome. The celebration was presided over by Cardinal Baldassarre Reina (Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome) and concelebrated by the priests of the parish and the Schoenstatt Fathers present for the occasion.

Words of welcome to the new parish priest

At the beginning of the Mass, the new parish priest was introduced by Dr. Giovanni Volpe, a young member of the Pastoral Council, who concluded his remarks with the following words: “To you, Fr. Pablo, today we give you our support so that you may continue to get to know this great parish, made up of houses with doors to knock on, of faithful to meet, of sick people seeking comfort, of young people waiting for authentic and sincere testimonies, of people who need to discover and rediscover their faith. The parishioners assure you of our prayers, our affection, and our help.”

The cardinal’s homily focused on the essential tasks of the parish priest and invited the new parish priest and parishioners to get to know each other patiently to continue the journey begun by the previous parish priest. During his reflection, he considered it important to emphasize that “the life, the heart of the parish is precisely this question: What place does Jesus have in your life? What are you willing to receive from him and what are you willing to give him? Given that today is the feast of St. Paul, he wrote at one point in one of his letters: ‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.’”

At the end of the celebration, Fr. Pablo took the floor to thank and greet the faithful who had participated in the inaugural Mass. He was interrupted several times by applause. Fr. Pablo concluded by entrusting himself to Mary’s protection and intercession in his new mission as parish priest and reiterated that he would not be there if it were not for Mary. He concluded: “She is the one who leads me to Jesus. She is the one who has allowed me to discover the beautiful charism of Jesus and will continue to be my Mother and Educator. Thank you all for being here once again today. Together with all of you, I begin this new mission to complete her work. Amen.” Fr. Pablo’s gesture of addressing the image of the Virgin Mary at the end of his speech and reciting the consecration to Our Lady was also very moving.

Fr. Pablo Martínez, guide and hope for the community

Fr. Pablo Martínez, born in 1985 in Asunción (Paraguay), is the youngest of five siblings. He was ordained a priest on June 24, 2018. He was parish vicar and moderator to the Schoenstatt Boys’ Youth in Argentina. He arrived in Rome in 2024 and, on June 1, was appointed assistant pastor of the Parish of the Holy Patrons (by decree no. 796/2024), where he currently exercises his ministry.

Below, he answers some questions:

How did you feel when you received the news of your appointment as parish priest?

At first, I felt it was very premature; honestly, I hoped to stay on as assistant pastor for a while to learn more. But after thinking it over, I accepted it as a beautiful task that God has entrusted to me and that challenges me to grow much more as a priest, to grow in service and dedication. In addition, as the months passed, I also became enthusiastic about the parish community: they are very willing and prepared to accompany me on this new path.

Can you tell us about a significant moment in your priestly life to date?

I accompanied a very sick man; I was able to listen to him and witness his life of faith. He was an artist and a very talented painter. Listening to him, praying with him, and then celebrating his funeral Mass showed me once again the great gift that God has given me as a priest: to be a witness to the lives of others, to be able to walk alongside them and share their lives and their journey of faith.

Is there a saint or spiritual figure who inspires you in particular?

It may seem that I say this because I belong to the parish of St. Francis and St. Catherine, but when I arrived in Rome, I came across the book “Our Brother of Assisi” by Ignacio Larrañaga, and I was fascinated by Francis’ spiritual journey. He is a saint who, at this moment, is making a deep impression on me and challenging me in my role as parish priest.

The parish will host an international event

From July 28 to August 3, 2025, Rome will host the Youth Jubilee, a special event within the Universal Jubilee of the Catholic Church dedicated entirely to young people, which represents a unique opportunity for young people from different parts of the world to gather around the faith and share experiences.

In preparation for this event, the project “Missionary Sendout to Trastevere” (Trastevere is the Roman neighborhood where the parish is located) will take place. The project will include a spirituality center in the parish, with the aim of uniting the message of St. Francis and St. Catherine with that of Schoenstatt. For this event, there are plans to decorate the facade of the parish with large posters announcing the activities and a large image of the Mother and Queen of Schoenstatt.

The Spirituality Center to be created in the parish of the Patron Saints aims to offer young people in Rome a place to spread the charism of the Schoenstatt Movement. Various activities will be offered, but above all, spiritual experiences will be shared based on the words of Pope Francis in his message for the blessing of the Schoenstatt Shrine in Monterrey on the “shrine-ization” of the Heart. The Shrine and the Heart will be the two pillars around which the proposal will develop. It will be open to all pilgrims in Rome and designed specifically for young people in the Schoenstatt Movement.

The “Missionary Sending to Trastevere” project thus offers the new parish priest the opportunity to experience the synergy between the missionary spirit of the Schoenstatt Movement and the pastoral work of the parish, so that the kerygma (proclamation of the Good News), as expressed in the spirituality of the Movement, may reach and enrich as many people as possible.

Translation: Maribel Acaron