Fr.Sato celebrated his silver jubilee.

Rev.Fr. Masahiro SATO, a diocesan priest of Niigata, celebrated his silver jubilee of ordination as a priest yesterday in Shibata parish where he has been a parish priest for past 2 years. More than 200 people gathered together to celebrate 60-year-old Father's jubilee including 13 fellow priests. I presided over the jubilee Mass and Fr.Yoshi-ike, a diocesan priest of Tokyo and a parish priest of Koenji, gave a homily. Frs.Sato and Yoshi-ike became friends when they were in Rome for higher studies number of years ago. According to Fr.Yoshi-ike, Fr.Sato was a student who had spent more time in his room studying alone rather than in class room. Whatever that means, both enjoyed living in Rome.

After the Mass, we managed to take a group photo in front of the famous chapel designed by Antonin Raymond for the first time as you can see from the above. Until recently, the road in front of the chapel was so narrow that no one can see the front face of the chapel. The city government did very good job to widen the road by shifting some houses, though not for us but for the development of the city, so that we are now able to stand in front of the chapel to take photos.

After the photo session, we moved to a hotel in near-by Tsukioka Onsen, a famous hot spring area, for celebration. Congratulations, Father Sato and many more blessed years as a priest.

Justice and Peace meeting in Ageo

The Justice and Peace commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Japan held 3-day general assembly in Saitama diocese from 10 to 12 October. On Sunday, 11 October, participants visited different parishes in the diocese to celebrate Sunday Mass together with the parish congregations and also to organise study sessions in respected parishes. I was asked to give a talk for the 8th study session organised by Caritas Japan on the poverty issue. The theme of the study session was "Fighting Poverty to Build Peace" which was the theme of the message of Holy Father on the 42nd World Day of Peace 2009. I had an hour to give a talk before Ms. Inae, a Caritas Japan Programme Officer, who gave an hour talk on the actual projects of Caritas Japan in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Uganda. With a mighty assistance by Power Point, I spoke on the reality of poverty in the world, MDGs and Church's Social teachings especially quoting from both Vatican II and Pope John Paul's "Centesimus Annus".

In "Centesimus Annus", late John Paul II gave a good insight on the Human Development issue such as this one; "Finally, development must not be understood solely in economic terms, but in a way that is fully human. It is not only a question of raising all peoples to the level currently enjoyed by the richest countries, but rather of building up a more decent life through united labour, of concretely enhancing every individual's dignity and creativity, as well as his capacity to respond to his personal vocation, and thus to God's call (29)".

If we see the reality of this world, particularly 8:2 division among people which means 80 % of world population possesses only 20% of world wealth, we have to say that raising all populations life level to the one of, say, for instance, Japan is impossible considering present environmental crisis and limit of natural resources. Realistically, re-distribution of world wealth at this moment is unrealistic to think about. Then what can we do? Then come that word of JPII. Our aim as a Catholic Aid worker is to realise the world where every individual is fully capable to respond to his or her personal vocation and that would be called the Integral Human Development.

Thank you for more than 60 people who joined the study session for more than 2 hours and I also enjoyed lunch with them after the session.

Before the session, I celebrated Sunday Mass with more than 100 people in Ageo Church assisted by Fr.Nakamura, a parish priest and a permanent deacon Rev. Saito who used to be a lay leader of Ageo. This Sunday Mass was especially planned for kids. Just before we started Mass, an alter boy turned around and told me in this way; Bishop I hope your homily would be good for us, kids. Well, well. A good homily for kids. I tried my best during the homily. I hope it was good for these kids in Ageo.

SVD ordination in Nagoya today.

There will be a priestly ordination for 2 SVD seminarians in Nagoya today. Fr. Adrianus Leingere Hayon, SVD and Fr. Nikolaus Kondi, SVD, both from Indonesia, will be ordianed a priest during a Mass at 2:30 pm in Nanzan parish by Bishop Nomura of Nagoya. SVD has a programme called "OTP" or "Overseas Training Programme" for more than 25 years. Seminarians, after completing their philosophy and novitiate, can apply for 2 or 3 years experience in different language and different culture from one's own. The Japan province of SVD has also accepted number of seminarians from other countries for past 20years and many of them remained in Japan after the OTP to continue their formation in the seminary in Nagoya. 2 new priests are also the product of the OTP. Since SVDs are working in my diocese, particularly in Akita district, and also we have one Filipino SVD residing in Nagaoka to work for diocesan programme of the migrant apostolate, I hope one of these 2 will be assigned to Niigata. Congratulations for 2 newly ordained Fathers.

Last Thursday, Japan was hit by Typhoon no. 18 (we do not use international naming of the typhoon. Instead we use simple numbering system in Japan. I do not know why, though.) which left quite a damage over people's lives. As far as I know, no church facilities are damaged. I was in Tokyo for 2 meetings on Thursday and I could not come back to Niigata till next day since train system was in mess. Photo above is the Tokyo in dusk on Thursday evening after typhoon. You may see a glimpse of Mt.Fuji at the left side of the photo.

I will be going to Ageo Church in Saitama prefecture to give a talk on the Caritas activities tomorrow as a part of the National Assembly of JPIC in Saitama. I will celebrate 9 am Mass tomorrow in Ageo before the talk.

Return of the delegation from Russia

The 5-member delegation team which had visited Khabarovsk from last Friday came home safe on Monday afternoon with a lot of smile and a lot of story to tell. Though I was away to Tokyo for a meeting yesterday and I have not met all of them for "debriefing", Fr.Sakamoto told me that they enjoyed wonderful hospitality of the Catholic Community of Khabarovsk led by Fr.Marcelo and Fr.Ivan. Also they could manage to discuss about the possibility to have a gathering of youth in Khabarovsk next summer. We still have a lot to discuss before we would be able to finalise the idea for next summer since the concept of a gathering may be slight different in 2 countries. Probably, a week long retreat would be a good idea for youth from both countries to know each other, to share time for prayer and fun and, much more important, to feel they are brothers and sisters in Christ. Since taking a week long holiday in Japan might be slight difficult even for youth, we may have to be flexible to organise such an event but I hope at least 5 to 10 young Catholics from Niigata might be able to join the event next summer.

Thank you Fr.Marcelo, Fr.Ivan and the community in Khabarovsk. (Photo above; the team)

A district assembly for laity was held for Shibata

Last Sunday was the day for a district assembly for laity for the SHIBATA district in Niigata prefecture which includes following parishes; Shibata, Niitsu, Kamo, Sanjo, Muramatsu, Mitsuke and Tochio. The assembly was held in St.Anna parish in Niitsu. The assembly for the Shibata district has been held every year with a specific theme and this year's theme is "the role of laity in Evangelisation".

More than 100 laity gathered together in Niitsu on Sunday at 10 am for Sunday Mass presided over by myself and concelebrated by all the priests in the district. After the Mass, Mr.Ryu Suzuki from Tokyo, editor in chief of the monthly magazine "Fukuin Senkyo (Evangelisation)" gave a talk on the theme.

Parishioners of Niitsu prepared wonderful soup, "Ton jiru (miso soup with pork and vegetables)" for the participants' lunch. After we enjoyed time for sharing lunch, we came back for yet another sharing, sharing information from each parishes. The assembly ended by 3 pm.

Big thanks to Fr.Kamata, the parish priest and members of the Niitsu.

Takada's centennial celebration

Christ the King Parish in TAKADA, Niigata prefecture, celebrated the 100 anniversary of its foundation yesterday. I presided over the celebration Mass and Archbishop Alberto Bottari de Castello, Apostolic Nuncio, graced the occasion by concelebrated the Mass. More than 450 people, though some of them could not get into the chapel and joined the Mass from a class room through live telecast, gathered together to celebrate. It was in 1909, an SVD missionary, Fr.Franz Friese, traveled more than 300 km by a bicycle from Kanazawa to Takada to establish a new mission. Within 2 years, in 1911, he managed to baptise several people in Takada. There is no doubt to say that he had faced difficult situations as a foreigner just to live in a rural area in Japan a hundred years ago, not mentioning his difficulty to proclaim Jesus as Christ in traditional Buddhist area.

Since 1957, Takada parish has been under the care of OFM missionaries from Italy. Present pastor is an Italian OFM, Fr.Mario Canducci. After the Mass, during a big celebration party in a nearby wedding hall, Fr.Mario exhibit his wonderful talent of music by singing Santa Lucia with a Lady's Choir who worn choir robes from 45 years ago. There were wonderful music by a 4-brother's band and dance by Filipino mothers. Thank you everyone. It was a wonderful celebration and you did very well.

We would like to give thanks to all these missionaries who dedicated their lives to proclaim the Gospel in Takada in spite of difficult situation. We also give thanks to all these people who supported the activities and life of missionaries. We have to learn from their enthusiasm since we are doing our mission based on their heritage which has been telling us that we should not afraid to proclaim the Good News though we are facing difficulties.

A delegation team to visit Khabarovsk today

A 5-member delegation team from Niigata diocese is visiting Khabarovsk in Russia this afternoon and will return on Monday evening. Their visit is a part of our exchange programme between Niigata diocese and Khabarovsk Catholic Church in Irkutsk diocese. If you look at the world map carefully, you will immediately notice that Niigata is quite close to Siberia. In fact, there are twice a week service of flights by Vladivostok Air between Niigata and Khabarovsk, and also twice a week service between Niigata and Vladivostok. Then, the city of Niigata has been a sister city of Khabarovsk for many years.

We have started this exchange programme since last year and this is the fourth time that our delegation is visiting them. We may not be able to assist them financially, though. We want them to feel that they are not isolated. As a community in the same faith and as a part of the same one body of Jesus, we want to establish long term cooperation between these 2 small Christian communities.

This time, by the way I am not joining them because of other engagements in Niigata, Fr.Machida is the leader of the delegation together with Fr.Sakamoto and 3 laity from the diocese including 2 representatives from youth group. We hope to organise a summer camp in Khabarovsk for the Youth from both Niigata and Khabarovsk communities, probably next summer. Since Fr.Sakamoto is in charge of youth apostolate of the diocese, I have asked him to join the team and discuss the possibility with youths in Khabarovsk.

I wish them a safe journey and happy stay.