Back from Taiwan

I have been to Taiwan to participate in a week long retreat organised by the Cor Unum (Pontifical Council for Human and Christian Development) from 6 to 11 September in Fu-Jen University in Taipei. More than 400 participants from all over Asia assembled in the medical department building of the University which has been run jointly by SJ, SVD and diocese. There were more than 60 bishops including 5 cardinals, Cardinal Cordes( president of the Cor Unum),retired Cardinal Zen of HongKong, Cardinal Rosales of Manila, Cardinal Toppo of Ranchi, India and retired Cardinal Shan Kuo-hsi of Kaohsiung. Japan was represented by myself, Fr.Machida, the diocesan Caritas director of Niigata and Mr. Tadokoro, the director of Caritas Japan. Biggest number of the participants came from India with more than 60 followed by Filipino group and Vietnamese group.

Morning reflection was given every day by Br.Yesudas, the former servant general of the Missionary Brothers of Charity. Originally Sr.Nirmala, the former superior of the Missionaries of Charity supposed to travel from New York to Taipei to share her reflection but due to her health condition, Sr. Preme, present superior of the MC recommended Br.Yesudas as the speaker.

Majority of the participants were directors and officers of either National or Diocesan Caritas all over Asia including Middle East. We were happy to welcome participants from Iraq among us and others from Holy Land to be with us to pray for peace. All together, 26 countries and territories of Asia were represented.

President of the Republic, Mr.Ma Ying-jeou graced the occasion by attending the closing ceremony and delivered very good speech on Catholic Church's role on development in the third world countries.

Thank you for students and staff of the Fu-Jen University for your wonderful organisation and hospitality. It was really amazing to see that they could take all of us, more than 400 participants, residing in 4 different hostels which were scattered around the city to be in the assembly hall of the university on time every day for the morning prayer. You really did very good job. Thank you. (Photo above. The Vietnamese group presenting the life story of their hero, Cardinal Van Thuan)

Resounding Michael Jackson

It is September and the season for "UN-DO-KAI (Sports festival)" in schools in Japan. An Junior High School next to our Cathedral is no exception and today is the day for them to enjoy all kinds of sports games while their parents are watching with well prepared lunch boxes for their kids. It used to be held in October when I was a kid. In 1964, the 18th Olympic Games started on 10 October in Tokyo and since then, 10 October was designated as the "National Health Sports Day" by the government. (By the way in 2000, the date of the day was changed to the second Monday of October by a new law.) Maybe because of this National Holiday in October, our generation's mind set was created to think that month of October is the month for sports activities. Well, change in the school calender has made the Un-Do-Kai to move to September recent days. The timing is not the only change for modern Un-Do-Kai but its back ground music to cheer participants. It used be a traditional marching music such as "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa. But I am hearing this morning from the Junior High next to the Cathedral exiting music by Michel Jackson. The time has changed.

I just came back from Tokyo for 3 days of meetings in the Bishops' Conference. I attended 4 meetings including 2 for Caritas Japan. Particularly, in yesterday afternoon, we hold an editorial meeting for a booklet for next year's Lent. Caritas Japan has been tasked by the Bishops' Conference to produce a booklet for Lent to provide a material for spiritual recollection for more than 12 years. Since this is the Year for Priests, we will include several life stories of priests in Japan.

I am traveling to Taipei tomorrow till 12 to attend a retreat organised by Cor Unum (Pontifical Council for Human and Christian Development ). Therefore, next posting might be after 12 September. (Photo above is a Japanese government Jumbo jet exercising in Chitose airport in Hokkaido)

Confirmation in ITOIGAWA

During today's Sunday Mass, eleven people received the sacrament of Confirmation in St.Francis of Assisi Parish in ITOIGAWA in Niigata prefecture. ITOIGAWA is the southern end of the Niigata Diocese and 2 and half hours drive from Niigata. You may notice from the photo above, majority of the parishioners of ITOIGAWA are Filipino faithful. In fact most of the eleven who were confirmed today are Filipino origin, especially kids of Filipino mothers who had been married with Japanese husbands. They are hope of our diocese.

Parish priest of ITOIGAWA, Fr. Doninic, OFM, who is already 80 years old, is still strong and energetic to lead this international community. There are not only Filipino parishioners but also quite a number of Brazilian members.

By the way, the newly established diocesan committee for communication met first time yesterday in Niigata. The chairman of the committee is Fr.Raul of Aoyama parish. I have asked Mr.Kato of Aoyama to be an editor of the diocesan news paper. Mr.Kiyoshi Saito had been the editor for many years and we are grateful for his long time dedication for this important job. For the new committee, I have appointed members from all the districts of the diocese. It might be difficult for the committee members to meet often because of the geographical condition of the diocese. However, since good communication is quite crucial for evangelisation in our diocese, I hope the members to work hard so that every member of the diocese might share same information and also their contribution might enforce evangelisation of the diocese.

Today was the general election day in Japan. As it is now, LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), the leading party for many years, lost the office and the DPJ(Democratic Party of Japan) will be in charge of the government by big majority. New government is coming to the power. We have to see what will come next.

SVD 100 years in Philippines

While I was attending the FABC assembly in Manila, the Divine Word Missionaries (SVD) celebrated its centennial anniversary of mission in Philippines. As there are 3 Provinces in Philippines for the SVD, Central(Manila), North and South(Cebu), celebrations also takes place in 3 different places during month of August with Father General, Fr.Toni Pernia. On 14 August, the Central province organised a Mass to celebrate the centennial in Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon city. Main celebrant of the Mass was Fr.Pernia with 2 SVD bishops, including myself and 2 other bishops including the local ordinary of Cubao. It was well organised and singing and dancing was great. Photo above is a copy of the local news paper reporting the event.

Congratulations for SVDs in Philippines !

I will be away for a few days to Hokkaido. Next post will be after 29 August.

Youth gathered in Niigata Catholic Church

A group of Catholic youth of Niigata, ranging in age from 13 up to late 20's, gathered together in Niigata Catholic Church over the weekend. Several youths from Narashino, Chiba prefecture, also joined the gathering which was planned and organised by youths themselves to deepen their friendship and understanding of their faith in Catholic Church.

As it is widely known that Japan is a graying society, with more nuclear families and fewer children. Especially for rural areas such as our diocese, exodus of youths to big cities like Tokyo in order to seek job opportunities or higher education affects much to reduce number of young people joining the Church activities in which young people had been already scarce to begin with. This has been affecting our Church activities in rural dioceses. You do not have to move around to find the example. Just attend one Sunday Mass in our Cathedral in Niigata and you will know immediately that there are not so much young members in the community.

Therefore, I have to be grateful and appreciate much for the good and strong initiatives of several youths of Niigata who, without any suggestion from our side, decided to organise such a gathering.

Around 20 people gathered together, though it was very difficult to say the exact number of the participants since some had to leave early or came late for their "ARUBAITO (a part time job)".

A group from Narashino joined the gathering since the parish priest of Niigata, Fr.Ebe, used to be a parish priest of Narashino.

On Friday evening after supper which had been prepared by themselves, I gave a talk on Africa, especially about my mission experience in Ghana and Rwanda. Thoughout the entire morning of Saturday, they had a sharing session on their life experiences. Mr.Masaya Takahashi from Yonezawa who has been working in Cambodia as a lay missionary sent by JLMM joined the group and shared his mission experience. Then Mass was said by Fr.Sakamoto, assistant parish priest with songs accompanied by guitars. The group attended Sunday Mass with the community of Niigata Cathedral and, after the Mass, Mr. Takahashi gave a talk on his mission in Cambodia for those gathered in the Cathedral. (Photo above: The sharing session by the youth)

I hope and pray that these young people will continue to meet regularly and deepen their friendship and faith so that they could be the future leaders of our Church in Niigata.

The challenger

The volume four of a serious magazine featuring several interviews of local people who are active in Niigata area in many different fields titled "LIFE-mag" has finally off the press. This morning, I was happened to be in a book store, "Hokko-sha" in Furumachi area and found the magazine. Happy to see the volume four. I myself had been interviewed by the editor and the article appeared in the volume three. After the publication of the volume three, I had a chance to go out for dinner with the editor who told me that the volume four was on the way to be published. Since then, I was waiting for the magazine with a bit of anxiety because the editor, Mr.Hiroki Kobayashi, a soft-spoken gentle young man, is also a publisher, a cameraman and everything of his company. Yes. he is a lone hand to challenge impossible. I could not believe that he has been trying to publish such an interview magazine all by himself when he came to see me first time. But he has managed to reach the volume four. Wow! I would be one of his faithful readers as I love these young challengers.

If you are interested in the magazine, find it in Hokko-sha in Furumachi or Junku-do near the JR Niigata station. A copy of the magazine costs 500 Yen. (Photo above: the cover of the volume 4.)

By the way, Catholic youth of Niigata area are camping in Niigata parish from this afternoon till Sunday morning. There are more than 20 youth including several from Narashino where Fr.Ebe used to be a parish priest. This evening I gave a talk on Africa. Tomorrow morning, they will have a sharing session and Mass together. I will report it with a photo tomorrow.

IX FABC Plenary Assembly ended

The IX Plenary Assembly of FABC (Federation of Asian Bishop's Conferences) which was held in the Pius XII Catholic Center, Manila from 10 to 16 August ended successfully. The assembly which was under the theme of "Living the Eucharist in Asia" was attended by 117 participants including 75 bishops from all over Asia, which is divided into East, South East, South and Central. Out of these 75 bishops, there were 7 Cardinals, namely Cardinal Arinze, President emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments who had been sent by Holy Father as his special envoy, Cardinal Vidal of Cebu, Cardinal Toppo of Ranchi, Cardinal Man of Ho Chi Minh, Cardinal Rosales of Manila, Cardinal Zen of Hong Kong, and Cardinal Gracias of Mumbai. Also present was Archbishop Sarah, Secretary of the Propaganda Fide.

Each member bishop's conferences are entitled to send the president and 2 or more delegates according to their size. CBCJ (Catholic Bishop's Conference of Japan) was represented by Archbishop Okada, the president, Bishop Oshikawa and myself. Among other participants, there were bishops from Hong Kong, Mongolia, East Timor, Uzbekistan and Nepal who are associate members of the FABC. Also representative bishops from USCCB (USA), FCBCO(Oceania), CCCB(Canada), ACBO(Australia) and CEE (Spain) joined the assembly.

To facilitate fruitful discussion on Eucharist, a working document had been prepared well before the assembly by a Theological team led by Bishop Luis Tagle of Imus to which each Bishop's Conferences were asked to submit their opinions. Based on these opinions, the document was revised and re-written by Bishop Tagle on which we made 10 minutes interventions from each Bishop's Conferences. From Japan, we mentioned about the social hardships people are facing at present in Japan which forces many to commit suicide, more than 30,000 a year according to the government sources, and possibility of providing "Hope" to these people through the Eucharist.

Re-written and finalised document by Bishop Tagle will be presented to the Central Committee in November for approval and will be published later on as the FABC document.

The assembly also produced a 2 page message in which delegates say that in the Eucharist, " the God of unity comes to permeate and envelope our life, personal and societal, bringing the gift of union with him and with one another." Then, "love made perfect in self-sacrifice by Jesus, and renewed in the Eucharist, calls forth nothing less than a life-style of sacrificial love. " "Each and every Christian and every community must become what they celebrate: unity in diversity."

The message also mentions importance of listening of Word of God. It says "we cherish the Eucharist, for in it we receive the Word of life and light that opens our eyes and the Bread of life that warms up our hearts. The unity of the Word and Bread in the Eucharist invite us to treasure and live both these aspects."

Finally the message call people to go out for mission saying "we are convinced that meaningful, contemplative, experiential and prayerful celebration of the Eucharist has the potential to render the Christian communities of Asia powerful witnesses of Jesus, witnesses who are bearers of his presence, his love, and his healing power." (photo above is the conference room of the Pius XII Catholic Center)