Caritas Japan's Easter video message

Following is a three-minute video message on Easter by myself as the president of Caritas Japan.

Happy Easter !

Happy Easter to you all.

I hope you had wonderful and blessed celebrations during this Holy Week with your own communities.  As for myself, it was a blessed week of being with so many people to pray, meditate and celebrate.

I celebrated the Passion Sunday Mass with Kamo Catholic community in Niigata prefecture.  The parish priest, Fr. Sakamoto, had to travel to Akita with the diocesan youth group, since he is a diocesan chaplain for youths, I was asked to help the liturgy of this small parish.  All together there were around 20 people to join the Mass.  You may see from the photo above, number of Catholics from other countries are important members of this community.  They are from Philippines and Sri Lanka and have been good mothers and wives in Japanese families.

Then on Tuesday, after the Priests' Senate meeting on Monday, I celebrated the Chrism Mass with priests working in Niigata Diocese.  There must be around 33 priests working in my diocese, including 15 diocesan priests and number of religious priests, 20 of them were in attendance.  Some had to travel more than 300 km to reach the Cathedral such as those priests in Akita district so that they had decided to send their delegation of three.  After the Mass, we shared rice with curry which is one of the most popular dishes in Japan.

In the evening on Tuesday, I traveled to Sapporo by air.  It is an hour flight to Sapporo Chitose airport from Niigata by AirDo.  On Wednesday at 10:30 am, it was the turn of Sapporo Diocese to have their Chrism Mass in Kitaichijo Cathedral Church.  Church was packed by faithfuls and around 20 priests joined the Mass.  There must be around 30 priests working in more than 60 parishes in the diocese which is the entire island of Hokkaido.  It is almost impossible for some of them to travel all the way to Sapporo city during winter time.  Hokkaido is famous for severe winter conditions.  This was my fourth Chrism Mass in this diocese as I have been appointed its administrator in November, 2009.  I hope and pray our new Holy Father will remember this vacant see and appoint a new bishop as soon as possible.

From Thursday till Sunday, I was in Niigata and celebrated Holy Thursday, Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Mass.  Fr.Ngaji, SVD, the assistant parish priest of the Cathedral took the Good Friday liturgy.

During the Easter Vigil, four people, one lady and three gentlemen, were baptised and also received confirmation.  Congratulations!  The parish community is ready to accompany you to deepen your faith experiences.

On Easter Sunday after the Mass, there was a gathering of members to congratulate those who had been baptised and also to bit farewell to their parish priest, Fr.Ebe, who is going back to his own diocese, Tokyo archdiocese after 4 years of service in Niigata.  Fr. Ebe, thank you for your service for this diocese and we wish you well for your new appointments as the parish priest of Kanda in Tokyo. 

Construction work of New Chancery Office started in Niigata

Construction work of a new Chancery Office of Niigata Diocese and a residence for its Bishop has started last week.  Present office and residence building, a two-storied wooden house, was built more than 80 years ago, though the exact date of construction is unknown since the diocese at that time bought an already existing structure and made necessary addition to it.

Decision to build a new structure for the diocese was made a few years ago when the diocese had been informed by the Missionary Sisters of Sacred Heart in Fujisawa that they were to close their nursery school behind the Bishop's residence by March 2011.  Since then, a committee was formed both by priests and laity to discuss about the future plan of the Cathedral property.  The Committee came up with idea to demolish the nursery school and also the present residence and build a new one on the ground ofthe nursery school.  An existing two storied building behind the Bishop's residence which used be a minor seminary will remain and be used as a residence for retired priests of the diocese. I agreed with the proposal immediately since the Japanese government has been planning to increase sales tax from April, 2014. The sales tax in Japan also applies on construction works.

In order to demolish the closed nursery school building, a part of the Bishop's residence had to be demolished first so that heavy machines would be able to reach the nursery school area. Also the committee decided, in order not to spend too much money, and, of course as a tiny diocese with only seven thousand Catholics, the diocese does not have enough fund, to build a single story flat for both a chancery office and a residence for its bishop.

So during last two weeks, part of the present bishop's house, a dinning room and a kitchen section, was demolished.  The construction company, Shibata Kensetsu, says they may be able to demolish the former nursery school by the end of April and to begin the construction work for a new building by the beginning of May.  By the time they finish with the new building, then the present residence building will be demolished.  The entire construction activities may finish by the end of this year.

As I mentioned, the diocese has not enough money to cover the cost of this construction.  We have only 58% of the cost which is, including the cost for demolishing works and that is costing us quite a lot, USD 1.8 million.  In Niigata diocese, I have made an appeal to make special collections for next several years to contribute for this project. The new building is not only a house for bishop but will include office and meeting spaces for the diocese.  Your donations will be appreciated.  

The rite of Lector for Sapporo

The rite to confer the ministry of lector in Sapporo Diocese was held on 20 March in Kitaichijo Parish Church which is the cathedral of Sapporo diocese. Today is a public holiday in Japan, Spring Equinox Day, and number of public functions, such as graduation ceremony for schools or ordination Mass for several dioceses, take places all over Japan.

 

The ministry of lector calls candidates to be servants of the Living Word of God.  Their duties are not only proclaiming the readings at liturgy. They do more than simply read. They are to prepare candidates for sacraments of initiations through catechism classes and also to proclaim gospel message to people all over the world.

 

Mr. Paul Ken-ichi Sato, photo above with me, received the rite and given his ministry as the lector during the Mass. He entered the National Major Seminary 3 year ago and just finished his first year of Theology which is the end of his third year in the priestly formation. At this moment, the National Major Seminary has two campuses, one in Tokyo and the other in Fukuoka.  The Fukuoka one serves as three-year theologate and Tokyo one houses two years of Philosophy and a year of special course for deacons. Sapporo diocese has all together 3 seminarians at this moment.   There is one in Fukuoka and the other one in Tokyo.  Then one has already passed the entrance exam and ready to join the formation course after this Easter. Kindly remember these seminarians and continue to pray for their vocation.  Also we need your strong prayer so that there will be more youths to decide to be priests in Catholic Church in Japan.

By the way, for your information, I do not have any seminarians for my own diocese, Niigata.

Sendai Support Meeting @ Otsuchi, Iwate

The 19th session of the Sendai Diocese Support Meeting was held on 22 March in Otsuchi town, Iwate prefecture. Otsuchi is one of these coastal towns which were badly hit by March 11 tsunami.  Nagasaki Ecclesiastical Province had opened their volunteer base in December, 2011.  Since then, Fr. Furuki, SDB, who had been assigned by Nagasaki archdiocese as its director, has been working hard to accommodate volunteers not only from Kyushu area but from all over Japan.

Since the Tsunami disaster, it was my second visit to Otsuchi town. I attended the opening ceremony of the base in December, 2011, as I have posted before.  After two solid years since the disaster, town was still yet to be rebuild.  As you can see from the photo above, reconstruction plan of the local government has not been finalised and majority of people in the town are staying in temporary shelters.  Most of the disaster hit towns are yet to finalise their own reconstruction plans or still unable to execute them since "consensus building" is the must in community lives in Japan.

The Sendai Diocese Support Meeting is a monthly gathering of heads of several rescue and rehabilitation operations of Catholic Church within Sendai diocese. Three Bishops representing three provinces, Tokyo, Osaka and Nagasaki, myself as representative of the Bishops' Conference, Bishop Hiraga of Sendai, other officials of Sendai diocese and members of Caritas Japan.  You may download the 2013 report of activities of Caritas Japan's rescue operation from this link.

Prior to the meeting in Otsuchi, Fr. Furuki, the director, took us, around 20 of us to attend the meeting, to a hill behind the volunteer base.  Photo above is how you can see the town of Otsuchi from the hill top.  As we returned to the base, a chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Otsuchi town, Mr. Kikuchi was waiting us to share his vision for future of the town with us.  I did not realise until his sharing, the road in front of the base used be a central shopping district of the town with many shops.  Now what we can see is only a couple of vending machines of soft drinks.  Needless to say but it will take time for people to re-gain "normal lives".

At least the exterior of the base building has been completely changed.  Now it has shinning and beautiful wall paintings of a tree and rainbow which had been done by a group of artists from Taiwan in August, 2012 as a symbol of friendship between two countries. 

As we have just celebrated the third anniversary of the disaster in Tohoku Japan, we would like to thank you again for your prayers and contributions.  Kindly remember victims in your prayer.

 

Enjoying cold winter in Japan

I was in Yamagata city on 23 February for a board meeting of Catholic KGs. Yamagata city is within my diocese, Niigata Diocese. To reach Yamagata, I had to take train this time because it was not advisable to drive on snowy and icy road as we have heavy snow fall this winter, more than double that of usual years. There is no motorway connection and I have to climb and pass 2 mountains between Niigata and Yamagata.  Well, it took me more than 5 hours to travel by train,though it was that famous bullet train of Japan which goes over 200km per hour.  I had to travel down to Tokyo and change a train to continue to Yamagata. 

That is one of realities of mission territory such as Japan. Well I have to drive more than 8 hours to reach a parish in northern end of my diocese and it is almost impossible to make on time travel during winter season. A day after my trip to Yamagata, the bullet train between Tokyo and Yamagata got stuck in snow.  A few days ago, another bullet train between Tokyo and Akita which is also in my diocese was derailed by heavy snow. You may imagine that it is not easy to organise any diocesan events in such situation in my diocese.

Well my second diocese, Sapporo in Hokkaido has suffered worse winter this time.  Only a few days ago, there were terrible snow storm in Hokkaido, 8 people were killed including a 53-year-old father who lost his life while protecting his only daughter under him.  They were on their way home from local kids center. 

I was also in Sapporo a few days ago for a priest meeting and surprised to see heavy snow piled up on side walks.  This is my 4th winter as the apostolic administrator of Sapporo and I have never seen such heavy snow there.

Of course, I know the situation in diocese of Irkutsk in East Siberia which is much more harsh than our reality, though. Also cities in Niigata such as Tokamachi has been also suffering from quite heavy snow this winter.

Resignation of Holy Father

As you know well, as several days have passed since the announcement, Holy Father decided to step down from the chair of St. Peter at 8 pm (Rome time) on 28 February, 2013.  The see of Bishop of Rome will be vacant and a new election to choose a new successor of St. Peter by 117 cardinals, the conclave, will be summoned by middle of March.

There is no Cardinals from Japan at this moment.  The last one was Cardinal Shirayanagi of Tokyo who died in 2009.  In 2005, when Pope Benedict XVI was elected, there were 2 Japanese Cardinals in the conclave, Cardinal Shirayanagi and Cardinal Hamao.  Speaking about Cardinals, there is only one Cardinal from East Asia to participate the coming conclave.  Cardinal John Tong of Hong Kong is still under 80 years old and is eligible to vote.

I met Holy Father on 19 January in his palace during a private audience for participants of the Plenary Assembly of Pontifical Council Cor Unum.  I have been appointed as a member of this Pontifical Council recently and was my first time to participate its assembly. At the end of the audience, which usually goes like; a greeting message by the one in charge of the group, Holy Father's response, Apostolic Blessing and photo taking; members of the council were allowed to greet Holy Father personally. It must be one of the difficult tasks for Holy Father to meet so many strangers every day and greet them with a word or two.  But when Cardinal Sarah, the president of Cor Unum, introduced me as a bishop from Japan, Holy Father smiled and said a few words on victims of the earthquake and tsunami.  In fact, this was my third audience with Holy Father after the March 11 disaster in Japan and every time when he realised that I was from Japan, then his face started to shine with a few words of prayer for victims.  I am so grateful to Holy Father for his continuous concern for people in the disaster hit area in Japan.

At the same time, I could see and feel his physical weakness during the audience.  It seems that Holy Father definitely need assistance to walk and could not sit straight on a chair.  His voice was so weak and frail. But I could see that his mind is clear as ever.  I am sure, as the very person to support Blessed John Paul II until his death, Holy Father knows very well the impact of physical difficulties of the Pastor of the Church over its decision making body.  So his decision to step down tells us that the Church is facing several major challenges at this moment and the Church needs vigorous new pastor to tackle these challenges.

I am grateful to Holy Father especially as member of Caritas Internationalis and Cor Unum that he has set clear guidelines for charitable activities of Catholic Church and also put emphasis in necessity for believers to put more effort in charity.  Especially in his first encyclical "Deus Caritas Est", Holy Father made it clear that the charitable activities is one of essential elements of the Church with these words;

The Church's deepest nature is expressed in her three-fold responsibility: of proclaiming the word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia). These duties presuppose each other and are inseparable. For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being.(Deus Caritas Est, 25)

I hope and pray that almighty Father may grant good health and long life to Holy Father, Benedict XVI.  Voices of gratitude from all over the world for his living witness of discipleship as pastor and servant of people of God is a proof that he is a great leader of the Church.

Let us also pray for guidance of Holy Spirit so that the coming conclave will choose yet another wonderful and capable pastor for all of us.