I made an official visitation of KAMEDA Parish in Niigata city on 16 October and celebrated a Sunday Mass together with the parish community. During the Mass, 5 people received the sacrament of confirmation. KAMEDA town is well known in all over Japan by the head office of KAMEDA SEIKA, a confectionery company for rice crackers and others sweets. The parish community is small with around 30 Sunday Mass attendance but the community is full of family spirit. So as usual, I was invited to join their Saturday diner party in a parish hall and drink Sake with them.
Also KAMEDA parishioners made news a few years ago when they had managed to built their new chapel through their own contributions. Catholics in Japan were surprised because such a small community had been able to contribute to built a new building for their chapel.
Congratulations for those who received the sacrament and thank you for the community for your wonderful hospitality.
By the way, I will travel to France and Italy for 10 days from 18 October with more than 70 people for pilgrimage to commemorate the 100th anniversary of establishment of Niigata diocese. I will report the trip after my return on 28 October.
Till then, you may also go to this link of Caritas Internationalis to read my interview on Tsunami disaster.
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