Happy Easter!

Dear brothers and sisters. Happy Easter !

I hope you also experienced wonderful and spiritually enriched Holy Week. Past few days, Niigata experienced miserable weather of cold winter and the news stories on TV of cheery blossom in elsewhere in Japan seemed like stories of another world. Yet, today, we had a wonderful, beautiful and warm spring day for the Easter celebration, though the cherry blossom is yet to arrive in Niigata.

For today's main Mass at 9:30 am in Niigata Cathedral, around 200 people joined the celebration. During the Mass, a baby girl was baptised. It is good to witness a baptism of new born baby during the Easter celebration. It gives us a real feeling of beginning of new life.

After the Mass, a party was held in a parish hall in which I sung several songs with piano and the parish priest, Fr.Ebe gave a performance of his favorite Japanese flute, Shakuhachi.

Holy Thursday in Niigata

The Holy Triduum has began and today is the Holy Thursday, a day to commemorate the last supper and the institution of the Holy Communion by Lord Jesus himself. In Niigata diocese, the Chrism Mass has been celebrated on Tuesday and for Sapporo diocese, it was on Wednesday so that majority of priests working in both dioceses were able to join the celebration for them. Some of them had to travel more than 300 km to attend the Mass with their Bishop.

The Mass on Holy Thursday in Niigata was presided by myself at 7 pm today in Niigata Cathedral. Because of aging society in Japan, especially in Niigata city center, attendance of evening liturgy in Niigata has been decreasing for past few years. This evening, though the liturgy is quite important for our spiritual life since the Holy Communion is the center pillar of our Christian faith, we had around 100 faithful to join the liturgy.

After the homily, following the example of the Lord Jesus himself, we had a liturgy of washing feet. I could see that the parish priest had difficulty to find 12 men to be washed. By the way, I remember my days in a parish in Ghana, especially during special liturgy. I will not forget my first experience of the Holy Thursday in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Osonson, Krobo in 1988. When I approached Mr. Amerkudji, then the parish president, he suddenly said it loud that, "Lord do not wash my feet". I did not know how to reply. They were expecting me to enact the scene in the Gospel. What I remember was myself standing in front of my parishioners not knowing what to do next. Good old memory.

By the way in Niigata this evening, quite a number of people stayed in the crypt after the Mass to spend sometime in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The adoration continued till 10 pm.

There will be the Good Friday liturgy at 7 pm tomorrow and the Easter vigil on Saturday at 7 pm. Join us in Niigata Cathedral.

Ms.Knight visited SAN-YA area in Tokyo

Ms. Lesley-Anne Knight, secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, visited SAN-YA area in Tokyo on Saturday, 27 March, in the afternoon. She was accompanied by Fr. Narui, SVD, the executive director of Caritas Japan, Mr. Tadokoro, the secretary general of CJ and myself. Geographically, the address of "SAN-YA" is not officially existing on a map but is well known area in Tokyo as a town for day laborers. There used to be a number of low-cost inns in the area. Because of prolonged recession, many of these workers lost their daily wages and forced to be homeless. Adding to the poor economic climate in Japan, many of them are now aging and in real need of assistance to survive. Therefore, instead of these low-cost inns, today's SAN-YA has quite a number of newly built old folks homes all over the area. They can not continue to live on a street to receive government subsidy since it requires one to have a real address. Many of these newly established houses by local private inn owners provide aged workers an address to receive the government subsidy and deduct a monthly rent which includes meal service from the money to sustain the business.

We visited the NPO called "SAN-YU-KAI" which means friendship society of San-ya, established in 1984. The NPO runs clinic which provides free medical care and a shelter house. They also conducts counseling service and free lunch. (Photo above: In front of the clinic)

Ms. Knight concluded her 10-day visit of Japan, organised by the foreign ministry of Japan, with visiting the Cathedral of Tokyo archdiocese and left for Rome on Sunday.

This is the Holy Week. There will be the Chrism Mass on Tuesday at 10 am in Niigata Cathedral and on Wednesday at 10:30 am in Sapporo Cathedral. Then Mass on Holy Thursday, the liturgy on Good Friday and the Vigil Mass on Easter (Saturday night) in Niigata Cathedral are all at 7 pm. Then the Easter morning Mass at 9:30 am in Niigata Cathedral. Join us for the celebration.

Bishop Jinushi celebrated his Golden jubilee

On 22 March in Sapporo, Bishop Peter Jinushi, bishop-emeritus of Sapporo, has celebrated his Golden jubilee of priestly ordination. He was ordained a priest by late bishop Tomizawa on 20 March, 1960 together with Fr. Koyama of the Trappist monastery who celebrated the Golden jubilee with Bishop Jinushi. More than 200 people gathered in the Cathedral, Kita Ichijo and around 30 priests con celebrated the Mass presided by Bishop Jinushi with Fr.Koyama. The Papal Nuncio and I also joined the celebration. (Photo above) Bishop Jinushi requested us not to use the central chair of the Cathedral, which is the bishop's see of Sapporo, so that people feel the see is really vacant.

Also for the Sapporo, Mr. Jin-no, a diocesan seminarian of Sapporo, has been erected as an acolyte on Sunday afternoon in the Cathedral. If God so wishes, he may be ordained a deacon next year. Kindly remember him in your prayer.

Youth leaders' gathering in Akita

Though the entire number of youth itself in the diocese has been decreasing, there are still several energetic young Catholics who want to organise themselves as one of lay action groups in the diocese. The Seitai Hoshikai Retreat House has been the venue for a 3-day gathering of 12 youth leaders from all over the diocese started yesterday afternoon under supervision of Fr.Kotaro Sakamoto, the associate pastor of Niigata Cathedral. Fortunately for the diocese, at this moment we have around 10 Catholic students in Niigata University, a state-run school, and others in several different tertiary institutions in Niigata. I hope and pray that the group, though a tiny minority they are, would produce good youth leaders for the diocesan activities and also promote good number of vocations for religious life. (Photo above: Some of the youth leaders with Fr. Sakamoto praying for safe drive before leaving Niigata Cathedral around 7 am on Saturday fro Akita)

Welcome to Japan, Ms. Knight.

The Foreign ministry of Japan has invited Ms. Lesley-Anne Knight, the secretary general of Caritas Internationalis based in Vatican within the framework of the promotion of partnership cooperation in 21st century. She is arriving Japan today and will stay till 29. Ms. Knight has been the secretary general of this Catholic international aid agency recognised by the Holy See since 2007. (Photo above. Ms. Knight with Asian delegations on the extreme right)

In the field of actual development and rescue operation in developing countries, Caritas organisations have been a good partner and co-worker of Japanese government. Through her visit of Japan, Caritas and Japanese government will confirm these cooperation and deepen the understanding of ideas for human development. Caritas Japan will also welcome her in our midst and will have an chance to discuss some internal matters with her during the visit.

Recollection day in Naoetsu Parish

Yesterday, on the fourth Sunday of Lent, I visited Naoetsu Parish in Joetsu city which is 130 km south of Niigata city for a day of recollection for 2 groups of parishioners, one for a Japanese group and the other for an English speaking group. All together more than 60 people attended these 2 recollections. In fact, more than half were for the English one.

Last week I was in Akita for graduation activities of 2 Catholic junior colleges in Akita and spent whole week in the convent of Seitai Hoshikai. On Saturday when I drove back from Akita to Niigata, weather on the road was quite wild so that my black car was soaked not only by rain but also by sea spray since the main highway between Niigata and Akita passes through the coastal area. On Sunday morning by the time to leave for Naoetsu at 6:30 am, I just found my black car no longer black. It was just like a whitewashed car, dirty like something. Keeping your own car clean is one of the best hobby in Japan, I think, and I had to drive this dirty car under beautiful morning sunshine telling others I am a lazy man who does not care about this popular hobby of all in Japan.

Well, the first Japanese Mass began at 9 am in Naoetsu which was attended by around 20 people. The pastor of Naoestsu, Fr. Hubert, OFM, concelebrated the Mass. Since Naoetsu parish has a wonderful organ prayer, Mr. Machiya, with good knowledge of the Gregorian Chant, I had to sing most parts of the Mass, which I love to do any way. After the Mass I gave a 45-minute talk followed by the individual confession, the stations of the Cross, the Benediction and a lunch together.

Around 1:30 pm, English speaking community started to arrive for the day. Majority of them are Filipino ladies married with Japanese. I spoke for 45 minutes again in English about their vocation in Japan as lay missionaries to be witnesses of Gospel in Japanese rural society where traditional Church had not be able to reach out. I know the stories of difficulties which number of them have been experiencing in their international marriages. Sometimes they are not accepted as full members of the family by in-laws. Despite all these difficulties, and for these Church has been trying to be of their help, I still think and believe that God has his own plan for each one of us. Traditional Catholic Church in Japan has put much effort to establish parishes and other institutions in rather big cites in Japan. Because of the strategy, not much has been done to spread the good news to rural villages. In fact, I do not know how we could go into these villages at this moment. Majority of Filipino Catholics who have been married with Japanese are living in rural area. I do believe they have been sent by God to be a witness of the message of God. In fact, they are missionaries in Japan.

Stations of the Cross and individual confession followed and the day was completed with the Holy Eucharist. Photo above: those who joined the English recollection with 2 youngsters who did good job as alter girls.