Fr. Dumas has finally arrived.

Fr. Martin Akwetey Dumas, SVD, has finally arrived in Niigata on 26 August to stay with me for a few days.  I intentionally used a word "arrived" though his present appointment as a missionary of the Society of the Divine Word is learning Japanese language in Nagoya, since he was one of my faithful Mass servants (alter boy) in parish of Our Lady of Lourdes in Osonson, Ghana, 30 years ago when I was a priest in charge of them.

I was appointed as a priest in charge of Osonson in June, 1987 whose duty was to take pastoral responsibilities of Osonson parish and its 22 out-stations.  I was alone to live in Osonson for 5 years since there were no missionaries to be allowed to enter Ghana for several years at that time.  Therefore, Catechists, Christian Mothers and Alter boys were strong hands to help me in my pastoral duties.  Father of Fr. Dumas is a cathecist and was one of my strongest partners.  Fr. Dumas himself was also member of the Alter boys group and accompanied me to visit out-stations quite often.

Quite a number of boys went to seminary to try to pursue their vocations to be priests and Martin was the one to be a priest.  I went to ordain him in Ghana last year in August.  While he was in the SVD seminary in Ghana, he contacted me to express his desire to work in Ghana.  He wanted to come to the country where his former parish priest came from.  So he made it and he made to "arrive" at my house in Niigata.

I took him to Tokamachi parish on 28 August for the Confirmation Mass.  Photo above is taken after the Mass with members of the parish.  As you can see from the photo, majority of the members of Tokamachi are from Philippines.  They have married with Japanese for sometime already and have been good mothers and wives.  We have their husbands and children to fill our chapel.  Several husbands have been baptised already.  We really have to thank God for sending these "missionaries" from other countries to Japan.