Japan Catholic News
October 2007
ICHIKAWA CHURCH USES INCLUSIVE PROCESS TO REWRITE PARISH BYLAWS
Catholic Weekly, October 14, 2007
In 2004, Ichikawa Church in Chiba prefecture with 960 parishioners
as of 2006 organized a committee to reexamine the parish structures
and activities. The committee placed special emphasis upon internal
communion, outer-directed relationships and spiritual growth.
Presently, the committee consists of 13 persons including the pastor,
Tokyo diocesan priest Father Takeshi Ohara. Their ages range from the
30s to the 70s.
Fr. Ohara explained, "Two things triggered the movement. One was
the 'Catholic Mission Distircts' project of the Tokyo archdiocese,
and the other was an awareness of the need for a change in the outdated
bylaws in order to make the Church open and coexistent with foreigners.
We took it as an opportunity for our self-reorganization"
In 2004 they had a series of five lectures to deepen understanding
of the Catholic Church. Masses in English and in Spanish were begun.
In 2005, the parish council formally approved moves toward developing
new bylaws for the parish. A "New Bylaws Committee" was formed.
A survey of all parishioners including foreigners showed that people
coming to the church sought human contact, social activities, and an
inner peace based on prayer. The results were distributed to all the
parishioners in 2006 for discussion in small groups.
Now, the committee is drafting new bylaws that will contain a preface,
action plans and rules. The committee is hoping that the new bylaws
will be approved at the church's general meeting in 2008. Afterwards,
the new bylaws, together with the questionnaire and the lectures, will
be published in a book. A planned introduction to the book will begin
with the Lord's words: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).
Yoriko Miyoshi had been frustrated at the delay since the 2005 survey,
so to speed the process she joined the committee. Her husband Yamato
Miyoshi followed her. Using the records of all the committee meetings
and discussions, he drafted a new version of the parish bylaws.
However, Miyoshi said that when he brought his draft to a meeting,
Fr. Ohara said, "Taking time is rather important." Hearing
that, Miyoshi came to understand that the priest considered the process
of making the new bylaws important in itself.
Eiichi Kasahara, a committee member, said, "The former version
was made by a small group of selected members. The new one is from
the beginning a product of many. Starting with the questionnaire we've
developed a consciousness of participation by all."
"We decided to put our bylaws in our own words, which meant allowing
extra time, but we accepted it all right," explained Shinsuke
Numata, another committee member.
Tetsuji Tanaka stressed, "Discussion is indispensable. The small
group discussions about the questionnaire brought us unexpected fruit.
I think it will be again rewarding to repeat it on the draft of new
version, with foreigners included."
Fr. Ohara explained, "There are a lot of foreigners around here.
We are trying to build a Church that walks together with them. We do
a joint event twice a year, and now we see two or three foreigners
on the parish council elected from the English and the Spanish Mass
communities They once took the initiative to organize a lecture for
Japanese parishioners."
The priest commented on what the foreigners offer the parish community.
"They recognize themselves as part of the Church, and freely urge
Japanese to come in. They do not feel themselves as foreign guests.
In the mission district we have regular meetings. One of the achievements
was a joint preparation of the recent Confirmation ceremony. We exchange
visits between regional member churches."
As for his hopes, he said, "We can find individuals who either
support homeless people, or take part in interreligious activities
or help child-raising mothers. As a Church open to all I think we are
supposed to assist those individuals. Becoming a trustful and peaceful
Church is the target we have to reach. To get ourselves closer I want
to see more opportunities that help us to grow. Not by words but by
deeds, we keep going step by step to that end."
JOINT CATHOLIC-BUDDHIST SERVICE FOR PEACE AT MARTYRDOM SITE
Catholic Weekly, October 21, 2007
A joint Catholic-Buddhist service for those who died in war was held
Oct. 7 in a park adjoining the site of Christian martydoms in Hiji,
Oita prefecture.
Hiji Martyrs' Park recently opened on land adjacent to the former Hiji
domain's official execution grounds. The land was purchased by the
Oita diocese, and is maintained as a public park. Hanzaemon Kagayama
and his four-year-old son Diego, two of 188 martyrs who will be beatified
next year, were executed on the site in 1619.
Some 200 Catholics joined town officials and others in the ceremony
at the park overlooking Beppu Bay, next to Shouokuji Temple, which
stands on the site where a Hiji family temple once stood.
Bishop Ryoji Miyahara gave the opening greeting, explaining his thoughts
about the memorial service, "For the souls of those who were executed
and sleep forever here, I pray for peace full of true blessedness,
light and joy."
Preaching to the crowd about the heavenly reward of one of the two
criminals executed alongside Jesus, the bishop said, "Even such
a criminal found a way to repent, and so inherited eternal joy."
Shouokuji's chief priest and former Komatsuya University chairman Kodo
Kurayama and four other priests then chanted a memorial sutra for the
deceased. Bishop Miyahara continued, leading prayers for the departed.
He administered a blessing on the land and the cross placed there for
the opening of the park.
A message from Takatoshi Mokushita, 19th leader of the Hiji family
(now living in Kawasaki), was read at the ceremony. Mokushita expressed
his desire that, "prayers for the martyrs be united in a peaceful
world."
On the site of the executions stands a memorial tower erected by Shouokuji
in 1799. Chief priest Kurayama said, "Bishop Miyahara talked with
me about wanting to do this service together. This is the first time
that we have been able to have a memorial service here, at the site
of the beheadings. Christians and Buddhists being able to pray for
the dead together is very inspiring for me. I have been a chief priest
for 50 years, but this is the first time I have seen it happen."
Bishop Miyahara said, "This park is not only a place of executions;
I want it to be a place of hope. I want people to treat it with respect
as happy and hallowed ground, and make good use of it."
Naori Ata, a parishioner at the Beppu Church who helped with preparations
for the memorial celebration, said, "I was worried it would rain,
and I'm glad it didn't. I didn't think so many people would come."
KAGOSHIMA DIOCESE HOLDS FIRST 'DIOCESAN FESTIVAL'
Catholic Weekly, October 14, 2007
About 250 people gathered from virtually every parish in the Kagoshima
diocese for the first Diocesan Festival on the Respect for the Aged
Day holiday, Sept. 17, at Kagoshima's Xavier Cathedral.
The theme was "How is the preaching Church living?" According
to Father Hiroaki Nakano, the diocesan secretary, until now every parish's
pastors and lay representatives had been assembling every two years
as a diocesan council.
"If building buildings is the subject, the meeting format was
OK, but if the theme becomes 'preaching the Gospel' it is difficult
to convey to most people who have not attended. Thus, we thought it
best that many people attend, so the present form was decided upon
by the Priests' Council."
Diocesan Bishop Kenjiro Koriyama in his homily at the opening Mass
quoted Isaiah 2:4, "They will turn their swords into ploughshares," and
appealed to the participants that in order for the Church to bring
peace on this earth, the Cross of Christ must not be dispensed with.
At the end of the Mass, four of the faithful narrated their respective
experiences of faith.
Mikio Ishida of Kagoshima's Sendai Church spoke about one of the 188
martyrs to be beatified this year, Leo Shichiueimon Saisho. Sendai
was Shichiueimon's birthplace. Ishida carried on activities for
the beatification and for 20 years held a "Shichiueimon Festival."
He said, "I was asked by one bishop 'Is Shichiueimon still living?'
Struck by surprise, I said 'He is alive!' I think that because we never
forget Leo, Sendai Church has many priestly and religious vocations.
Having become involved in Leo's matters, I have had a chance to look
back over our faith, which I used to take for granted. We have become
more fervent I think."
In the afternoon, about 20 different groups active in the diocese in
welfare, social work, outreach to foreigners etc. gathered. Some reported
on their personal history, the contents of their activities or their
situation in words, others announced themselves with song
and dance.
The gathering ended with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.
As an experiment, the donations at the day's Mass were distributed
to pay the travel expenses of participants from the Rito Islands (Tanegashima,
Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima and Okinoerabujima). Fr. Nakano said, "We
gathered about \130,000 in response to the need to support one another."
Even so, due to a typhoon many participants from the Rito Islands were
unable to come to the gathering.
"There really was no damage, but because the typhoon remained
for a long time, transport service was cancelled. There were no ships,
but some people came by plane. Their fare was about double," said
Fr. Nakano.
SIGNIS ASIA MEETS IN JAPAN FOR FIRST TIME
Catholic Weekly, October 7, 2007
 Signis is the Catholic alliance focused on promoting the Gospel through
the media and public relations, with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.
Signis Asia, the organization of member countries in Asia, held its
annual general meeting Sept. 24-30 at the Tokyo International Olympic
Youth Center. It was Japan's first time hosting the conference.
The foreign participants numbered 37 people -- 18 of them clergy -- from12
regions including Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, Korea and the Philippines.
The Japanese delegation consisted of 18 members, with 29 volunteers
offering additional support. The conference began with Mass and a reception
on the first day, and the remaining 5 days were filled with meetings
and workshops.
Signis Japan Chairman Shigeki Chiba spoke of the Catholic struggle
in media in Japan.
"We face the reality of numerous abortions and suicides," he
said. "How can we make peace amid so much death? It's not true
that 'No war = peace.' I think that protecting life is a duty we can
accomplish as a Church."
Signis president Augustine Loorthusamy asked, "What is Japan contributing
toward peace in the world (in terms of the environment and poverty)?"
Auxiliary Bishop Goro Matsuura of Osaka described a Japanese perspective
to the other Asian delegations, speaking in his guest lecture about
how he wants the media to send messages in a gospel-like manner, just
as the war-renouncing Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution sends
a message about the importance of world peace.
Signis is a union of individuals and affiliate organizations from approximately
140 countries engaged in the transmission of information. With formal
recognition from the Holy See, it has the backing of councils of bishops
from the member nations.
At the meeting, there were many questions about the attitude toward
Japanese Catholic media.
For two days, the countries were divided for meetings into three regions -- East
Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia -- where each nation discussed
new struggles and recent activities. In the East Asian group, which
included Japan, a structure for sharing previously translated media
was proposed.
At the general meeting, discussion carried over from last year's conference
on Media Education. Signis Asia's secretariat proposed a new Signis
Media Award Foundation and Fund-raiser Foundation, but the initiative
stopped before meeting full approval.
In his closing comments, Signis Asia President Father Lawrence John
Sinniah thanked Chiba and Signis Japan for hosting the meeting.
Chiba said of this year's meeting, "My understanding of the high
hopes for Japan has been renewed. I hope for cooperation with the Catholic
Bishops' Conference of Japan."
At present, the Social Communications Office of the bishops' conference
treats Signis as merely one among several organizations.
During the conference, Takashi Koizumi, as director of "Doctor's
Love Formula," received the Japanese Catholic Movie Award (sponsored
by Signis Japan) and in return gave both a screening of his movie and
a talk.
SPECIAL MEETING OF BISHOPS PREPARES FOR
SYNOD ON WORD OF GOD
Catholic Weekly, October 14, 2007
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan (CBCJ) held a special
plenary assembly in Tokyo Oct. 5 in preparation for the synod of bishops
to be held at the Vatican next October. That gathering, the twelfth
regular gathering of representatives of the world's conferences
of bishops, will deal with the theme "God's Word in the Church's
Life and Mission."
Prior to the meeting, the CBCJ had requested opinions from each diocese
and the superiors of men's and women's religious orders and missionary
societies. The opinions were in response to 21 questions at the end
of the preparatory lineamenta ("outline" or explanation of
the suggested theme) sent to every country's bishops' conference from
the synod secretariat.
The questions were varied, ranging from concrete matters such as, "Do
experiences and practices with the Bible exist in your particular Church?" to
general questions like, "What importance is shown to the Word
of God in the life of your community and among the faithful-at-large?" or "From
pastoral experience, describe the factors which foster a listening
to the Word of God and those which hinder it." There were also
questions such as, "Is priority given to dialogue with the Jewish
people?" that do not apply to the situation of Japan.
At the Tokyo meeting, the bishops examined a compilation of responses
and Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki will summarize them to be
forwarded to Rome by the end of November after final approval by the
CBCJ standing committee. At last February's plenary gathering of the
CBCJ, Archbishop Takami was chosen to represent the CBCJ at the synod.
The synod secretariat in Rome will assemble an Instrumentum Laboris (working paper) based on the responses from the various bishops' conferences
and that will become the basic resource material for the synod.
After the Tokyo meeting, Kagoshima Bishop Kenjiro Koriyama told a reporter
he was surprised at the regional variation with respect to lay people's
reading of Scripture. In Kyushu and elsewhere, he said, the opinion
is that "Scripture is for priests to read."
"Since I didn't think many people read Scripture, I thought that
was so, too," he said.
However, he was surprised at the meeting to hear other bishops say
that the situation is very different elsewhere.
"I learned that every diocese's situation is very different," he
said.
Bishop Koriyama said on the one hand educating believers with the Catechism
as central can be a factor leading to lay people's separation from
the Scriptures, but on the other hand a "Scripture only" approach
poses a problem.
He said, "I think it would be good to produce an introduction
to Christianity giving first place to Scripture, based on the Bible
rather than the Catechism. In Scripture such matters as the sacraments
also appear. I look forward to the synod's discussion on that content."
DIOCESE SPONSORS PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM ON MARTYRED
TOKUSHIMA PRIEST
Catholic Weekly, September 30, 2007
Some 700 members of the general public, including Catholics, attended
a Sept. 15 symposium held under the auspices of Takamatsu Bishop Osamu
Mizobe at the Tokushima Art Foundation for Culture. The seminar, "The
Life of Father Diego Ryosetsu Yuki, a descendant of Awa Kubo of the
Ashikaga Shogun's Family," presented one of 188 Japanese martyrs
who will be beatified next year. Yuki was a native of Tokushima.
Bishop Mizobe organized the seminar for the general public as an opportunity
for evangelization in Shikoku.
The first of three speakers was Father Shinzo Kawamura, associate professor
of Sophia University in Tokyo, who talked about "The 'ko' of Jodo
Shinshu (adherents to the Pure Land Sect of Buddhism) and 'kumi' (a
group of Catholics) among the Kirisitan (Japanese Christians in of
the period of persecution)."
"In the Kirisitan era Catholics formed 'kumi,' on the model of
the 'ko' of Jodo Shinshu," the Jesuit priest said. "The two
religions were similar in that both had a single divinity as an object
of worship in sixteenth-century Japan. In addition, they shared a common
mentality of mutual help that arose from cooperative endeavors to overcome
famines. A sense of community was nourished among the church members
to hold to their faith. It was from such a background that the 188
martyrs arose. The Church at that time was certainly a people's Church."
Jesuit Father Ryogo Yuki, the first director of the Twenty-Six Martyrs
Museum and Monument in Nagasaki, spoke of "Ryosetsu Yuki, a man
who gave his life for hidden Catholics."
Describing the work of the martyred priest, he said, "He was an
international scholar. He was exiled to Manila, and was ordained there.
He then smuggled himself into Japan in spite of the order outlawing
priests and was appointed to a church in Kyoto. Though all the other
priests had been purged, he continued to serve hidden believers. When
he was finally captured, he insisted that he had never lodged with
anyone and that he lived in the forest. This was to protect those who
might otherwise be liable to punishment for protecting him. He died
thus saving his people from the trouble he might otherwise have caused
them."
The last speaker was Hideo Bando, a teacher at Tokushima Joto High
School. He dealt with "The Tokushima Archives and Ryosetsu Yuki."
 "The fiercer the Kirisitan persecution became, the more reports
were filed, which evidenced the relentless investigations in the Edo
period. As the investigators' hand was drawing closer to Yuki, his
relatives were often interrogated. Even his sister Yuka, wife of Yoshitane
of Awa Kubo, was examined twice, simply because she was a sister of
a 'Bateren' ('Father' in Japanese-Portuguese)."
Following Bando's talk, Bishop Mizobe moderated a discussion.
During the discussion, the bishop commented that though Fr. Ryogo Yuki
said that Ryosetsu had inflicted no trouble on others, it is undeniable
that he had put his people into difficult situations. However, aware
of the danger of betrayal by Church members under torture, as it could
destroy the Church itself, he resolved never to disclose names or relationships
with people he had known. He had a spirit to assume the whole responsibility
for that which would cause his death. His desire "not to cause
trouble to others" was evidence of his nobility of spirit.
During the session voices were raised calling for further research
into the history of martyrdom in Japan and related subjects.
Before and after the symposium the Miyazaki Medieval Music Institute,
directed by Shigemi Takei, presented sixteenth-century church music
that Ryosetsu Yuki might have heard or sung in the seminary.
ASSEMBLY IN HIROSHIMA FOCUSES ON 'BECOMING DISCIPLES OF PEACE'
Catholic Weekly, October 7, 2007
 Some 300 people attended the 33rd annual National Catholic Justice
and Peace Assembly Sept. 22-24 at the World Peace Memorial Church and
Elizabeth College of Music in Hiroshima. The theme of the gathering
was "Becoming disciples of peace -- remembering the martyrs
and living one's faith." Hiroshima Bishop Atsumi Mizue hosted
the event, which was co-sponsored by the Japan Catholic Council for
Justice and Peace.
The first day's activities consisted of an opening ceremony and an
interchange meeting. The main activity on the second day was a symposium
Freedom of Religion and the Separation of Religion and Government,
a statement adopted by a Special Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops'
Conference of Japan (CBCJ) in February .
The message reflects the bishops' concern over the possible infringement
of freedom of religion because the principle of the separation of religion
and the state is obscured by current attempts on the part of the ruling
party to revise the Constitution. The four panelists were bishops who
had authored the statement as well as a pamphlet of the same name published
by the CBCJ.
Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami of Nagasaki opened the discussion by touching
on the view that the clergy should not be involved in social problems.
"Primarily, our work is witnessing to the Gospel, but now we must
be concerned with protecting the rights of the Church," he said.
He added, "The separation of religion and government is something
related to the state and the religious organizations. Many people misunderstand
the situation."
Bishop Daiji Tani of Saitama summarized and explained the points of
the Constitutional revision discussion, while Bishop Osamu Mizobe of
Takamatsu spoke about how one's faith must be like the martyrs'
faith that rejected the national policy of deifying political leaders.
Afterwards there was sharing in group meetings. One participant asked
about the current validity of a 1936 Vatican guideline that recommended
going to Shinto shrines on the ground that it conforms to social etiquette
and public education.
Archbishop Takami responded, "There is no State Shinto anymore
so the guideline doesn't apply."
There was also a request for more clarification of how freedom of religion
is actually being threatened.
On the third day,14 groups met on such themes as the Constitution,
the environment and human rights. From the group entitled "Justice
and peace from the point of view of faith," Franciscan Father
Tetsuro Honda stressed, "To realize peace, we must correctly receive
the Gospel, so real humility is needed."
In his talk at the Mass, Bishop Goro Matsuura, auxiliary bishop of
Osaka, said the gathering was an actualization of Hiroshima's diocesan
vocation for peace. Hiroshima diocese last year made "To become
disciples of peace" a guideline for preaching and pastoral activities
and established an office for promoting the guideline.
Bishop Matsuura's further comment that the gathering provided a unique
opportunity for a face-to-face encounter between the bishops and laity
regarding the CBCJ message and its importance was met with applause
from the 1,200-member congregation.
According to Noboru Kamiyama, the chair of the organizing committee,
the diocese was asked to host the peace gathering just at the time
that the "disciples of peace" guideline was adopted, so the
whole diocese was able to work on that theme as the focus of the gathering.
Sept. 23 was coincidently Hiroshima Diocese Day. Each year the whole
diocese is called upon to attend Mass together that day. Special programs
were prepared for children and foreigners to allow their participation.
An optional program involving on-the-spot meetings with survivors of
the 1945 atomic bombing and visits the ruins of the bombing attracted
many people.
Kamiyama felt encouraged by the involvement of young people. They organized
a well-received prayer service in the style of the Taize community,
an ecumenical monastic community in France.
According to Chiharu Yuhara, 35, a parishioner of the Okayama Church,
she did not know at first about the gathering, but working together
with others on the preparations was "connected to the growth of
young people."
Kamiyama said the Hiroshima diocese has peace programs every August,
but this gathering marked a step away from getting stuck in a rut.
He said that the successful completion of the peace gathering boded
well for next summer's activities.
JAPAN'S SOLE 'RENTED PARISH' FACES ITS END
Catholic Weekly, September 30, 2007
 The Nagoya diocese's Yatomi Church in Aichi prefecture is Japan's only "rented
parish." While parishioners want the parish to continue in spite
of financial difficulties, the diocese is encouraging them to find
a different way.
Yatomi Church is a two-story, six-room wooden house sitting alongside
Route 1. The worship space fills two Japanese-style rooms on the first
floor, and the tabernacle sits in an alcove.
Parishioners gather every Saturday night. Once each month, there is
a worship service in the absence of a priest. On another Saturday,
a deacon conducts a communion service and twice a month there is Mass.
At any one time, there are no more than 10 people attending. After
the liturgies, parishioners lay out carpet on the church floor and
sit, chatting about faith and addressing problems.
Long-time parishioner Natsuko Iwamoto, 68, said, "Even though
there's not many of us, we are able to keep up our faith (by supporting
each other as Catholics), so it's a good thing."
Yatomi Church was established when Maryknoll Father James Gorman rented
the house in 1974. Father Makoto Ohta, Nakoya diocesan chancellor,
said, "They didn't want a big building," in line with the
orientation of the mission society. "There wasn't any consultation
with the diocese," he added.
Because the American mission society paid rent and other expenses,
parishioners devoted themselves to evangelization, unaware of the small
church's financial situation. "We don't have to pile up money," Fr.
Gorman said.
Instead, parishioners would collect donations in front of the nearby
train station to be sent to help the poor. "We are a small but
lively church," parishioner Kiyofumi Miwa, 58, said.
Two years ago, Fr. Gorman returned to America because of heath problems,
and everything changed. A new priest was sent by the diocese, so Yatomi
Church, like any other parish, was obligated to contribute to the diocese.
Parish financial officer Masami Ichiyanagi, 60, said, looking back
on the confusion that came from facing the tough reality, "As
long as we relied on the foreign mission society, we didn't know about
the (diocesan) contribution."
Since having to stand on its own, financial difficulties have continued
for the parish. The 10 or so regular parishioners bear the burden of
monthly rent and other expenses totaling about sixty thousand yen plus
the diocesan contribution which amounts to 46 percent of Mass collections
and monthly pledges. The church register has approximately 90 names,
but most of the registered parishioners either don't come to church
or attend larger churches in the area.
Last August, church members met with Nagoya Bishop Junichi Nomura and
Yatomi's new pastor Divine Word Father Hidetoshi Ishiwaki (who is also
pastor of Oshikiri Church) to talk about the current state of the church
and where it is headed. The parishioners expressed their hopes that
the parish could continue, while the bishop presented his thoughts
about the difficulties.
According to Bishop Nomura, "There is little potential for growth," in
the sparsely populated area even though Yatomi recently became a city.
Furthermore, "In this diocese, all of the churches are pretty
small."
Consequently, he asked the Yatomi Catholics to consider integrating
with neighboring parishes in the diocese. The parishioners expressed
their continuing support for the church, while the bishop talked about
his outlook concerning diocesan problems, including finances and a
shortage of priests.
"If there are a lot of parishioners, it is possible to do something
big together, but it's easy to become pessimistic when you're small.
It's easy for people from larger churches to grow and do more with
more energy, and the financial difficulties get smaller," the
bishop said.
Fr. Ishiwaki commented on current sentiment.
"The number of priests, the number of parishioners, growth potential
-- there
are many different problems, but ultimately the diocese will decide," he
said. "In any case, at first there will be pain. Even so, I want
the parishioners to distinguish between emotional issues and faith
issues."
LARGEST-EVER 'NETWORK MEETING' OF YOUNG CATHOLICS HELD IN NAGOYA DIOCESE
Catholic Weekly, September 30, 2007
 Twice each year, the Catholic Conference on Youth Liaison sponsors
a meeting for Catholic youth from all over the country and those who
support youth activities. The object of the "Network Meeting" (NWM)
is to exchange information and build relationships.
The latest gathering took place Sept. 15-16 at the Divine Word Missionaries'
house in Tajimi, Gifu prefecture. It was the largest such meeting to
date, with 158 people participating from 14 of Japan's 16 dioceses.
Only the Takamatsu and Oita dioceses were not represented.
This time the theme was "He is the Vine -- Encounter, Connection,
Bearing Fruit."
The first day there was a stamp rally (a sort of scavenger hunt) and,
using candles painted by themselves, participants prayed in the style
of the Taize ecumenical monastic community in France. The second day
focused on reports of activities in each diocese and time for introducing
information.
The sharing of the second day on the theme "Concerning Our Own
Faith -- Past, Present and Future" was led by Deacon Ichiro
Mita of the Nagoya Diocesan Center and Daughters of Our Lady of the
Sacred Heart Sister Akie Hayashi. They discussed how through various
entanglements and troubles they afterwards found their faith had grown.
Participants then divided into groups and shared among themselves about
what they had heard.
Akiko Ogo from the Xavier Church in Kagoshima said that through the
support of people related to the Church or through youth activities, "I
strongly feel my faith has become firm. Thanks for the connection."
Kaori Tsuji of Tokyo's Adachi Church said, "I feel I want to do
something for people who are not skilled at communicating. I want to
be a person who rejoices at other peoples' happiness."
Reporting on activities in Okinawa, Ken Shimabukuro of the Yonabaru
Church in Naha said that usually the diocese's youth programs amount
to gathering a few people to talk and eat together. But, he explained
that after attending NWM, "I am going to try harder because I
learned the Taize way and how to do sharing." His comments met
with enthusiastic applause.
At the end of the meeting, Bishop Junichi Nomura of Nagoya celebrated
Mass. Before the gathering, he had announced that he wanted people
from throughout the diocese to attend the Mass because "I want
everyone to know about NWM." As a result, the chapel was full
not only of young people, but also of others who had come to participate.
After the Mass, the young people joined hands in the church and continued
to sing.
Though this NWM in the Nagoya diocese was the largest ever, according
to organizing committee chairman Yoshihiro Kataoka previously there
was not an active youth program in that diocese.
Kataoka, a parishioner at the Johokubashi Church, first attended NWM
when it was held in Hiroshima two years ago. Until then, no one from
the Nagoya diocese had attended.
Kataoka said that he thought, "If only we could do this in Nagoya
someday."
After that, at NWM gatherings in Saitama and Osaka, little by little
support grew in Nagoya. When the bishop gave his backing, preparations
began.
As part of the ground work for the gathering the organizing committee
set up an Internet home page for the Nagoya NWM and every other week
since last April staff visited every parish in the Nagoya diocese.
Not limiting themselves to youth, they introduced the NWM and youth
activities to all the Catholics of the diocese.
Father Tsutomu Hayakawa of the Nagoya Diocesan Youth Commission said, "We
want this to be the starting point for believers. From now on we must
do follow-up for the young people. This is the beginning of Nagoya's
youth activities."
On the second day's evening and the next day, 40 people, observers
included, took part in a special meeting to discuss the direction for
the NWM home page. They also discussed Japanese involvement in the
World Youth Day next Aug. 14-17 in Sydney, Australia.
The next Network Meeting will take place in Kagoshima Feb. 9-10 with
the theme "Hirogemonso" (Kagoshima dialect for "Let's
expand it!").
FRANCISCAN PRIEST ON THE ROAD TO SERVE DAIRY FARMERS IN EASTERN HOKKAIDO
Catholic Weekly, September 23, 2007
Father Caesare Cavazzola calls out, "Hello!" as he gets out
of his car, and from behind the house comes an answering call, "Yeah!" This
is how all of his home visits start.
Large dairy farms spread across the Nemuro plateau in eastern Hokkaido
where the 68-year-old Franciscan pastor of the Nakashibetsu Church
serves parishioners spread over the sparsely populated area.
Today, Fr. Cavazzola is visiting the Takanos, dairy farmers Akiko,
73, Emiko, 43, and Yuki, 16. They raise 60 cows. Sitting in front of
the household altar, they talk about recent news and reminisce about
Akiko's late husband Kunio.
Afterward, the Italian priest visits a family raising 400 cattle and
Catholics who came from Nagasaki to Hokkaido to start a dairy farm.
With relaxed chats about recent news and many other things, the atmosphere
is very neighborly.
Nakashibetsu Church started in 1927 with about 50 migrants from Nagasaki
who came to take part in the agricultural development of the area.
Later, development was redirected toward the promotion of dairy farming,
and the area became one of the leading dairy regions of Japan.
According to Fr. Cavazzola, the Nakashibetsu Church currently contains
six households engaged in dairy farming and fishing. Since dairy farmers
start work especially early and work late, they are often unable to
come to Mass. So the priest visits them as often as he can.
However, it is sometimes difficult to get around by car. Winters are
severe in Nakashibetsu, where grid-like windbreaks of trees protect
crops and farms from strong winds. Hitting a snowstorm in the middle
of a drive can become a life-and-death situation, said the priest.
Fr. Cavazzola also serves as the pastor of the Akkeshi Church, 50 kilometers
south of Nakashibetsu, and is the principal of the kindergarten there.
He goes there twice a week, on Sundays and Wednesdays.
Filipino women on 3-year-plus contracts as trainees on dairy farms
come to a Wednesday Mass in English. The church is a place where the
women, who are still uncomfortable speaking Japanese, can relax.
After Mass, Fr. Cavazzola personally teaches "Wednesday School" where
elementary-school students gather to pray and study English.
Fr. Cavazzola also has a spirited relationship with people outside
the church. Yuji Okawa is not a parishioner, but the priest visits
his home in Shibetsu, some 20 kilometers east of Nakashibetsu, to hold
periodic Bible study sessions.
"Thanks to the Church and Father, I've come to think about what
it means to forgive and love," Ogawa said.
There is also a young man who started bringing his problems to the
priest for advice three years ago and now meets invariably with him
once a week. He is not Catholic, but after meeting with the priest,
his life steadied.
"In this world, there are things you have to do yourself," he
said.
Maintaining a church at Akkeshi with so few parishioners who come to
Sunday Mass is a problem, but Fr. Cavazzola thinks it worthwhile to
keep a presence in the town.
"Even if there are only one or two people who come, the church
is being useful. There are maybe 20,000 people here, and they're all
the people of this small parish."
Once a month, Fr. Cavazzola takes time for personal renewal, spending
time with his Franciscan brothers at their friary in Nemuro, 100 kilometers
from Nakashibetsu. After relaxing and discussing problems with his
confreres, he returns to his parish church next to the Nakashibetsu
bus terminal, at the travel hub of eastern Hokkaido.
SPECIAL SERIES: JAPAN'S MILLION-MEMBER CHURCH
VIETNAMESE CATHOLICS MARK A QUARTER-CENTURY IN JAPAN
Catholic Weekly, September 23, 2007
It has been a quarter century since the arrival of Vietnamese refugees in Japan,
the so-called "boat people." Over the years, Vietnamese Catholics have
become a fully integrated part of the Church in Japan. The Catholic Weekly recently
looked at Vietnamese Catholics in three communities.
Together at Mass
Three thousand Vietnamese live in Hyogo prefecture. Catholics number approximately
three hundred, almost all of whom gather at the Takatori Church in the central
block of Kobe.
According to Ha Thi Thanh Nga, 45, Vietnamese began settling in Kobe in about
1982, and by chance started attending the Takatori Church in ones and twos. "We
all work in this area, making shoes," she said.
Nga added that Vietnamese settlers have married other Vietnamese or Japanese
natives and are enlarging their families. "We're already into the third
generation. The youngest are still two or three years old."
At church, cooperation between Japanese and Vietnamese members is making progress.
Mass on the third Sunday of each month is said in Vietnamese, with all other
Masses during the month conducted in Japanese. Vietnamese and Japanese participate
together.
"It looks like the Japanese aren't staying home just because it's in Vietnamese.
The Vietnamese were a great help with reconstruction of the church from earthquake
damage. I think everyone appreciates that," said Nga.
According to Nga, the pastor, Father Hiroshi Kanda, is also important.
"Everyone loves him, and he has a very international way of thinking, so it's
very easy to live here. He accepts both the Japanese and the Vietnamese as a
single group."
Nga and some of her Vietnamese associates participate in "NGO Vietnam in
KOBE," a volunteer organization helping other Vietnamese, and conduct lifestyle
counseling, event organization, house calls for the elderly and health consultations.
Feeling that "we should eliminate prejudice by teaching people about Vietnam,
too," they have initiated a monthly course on understanding Vietnam. The
theme for September was, "I want to tell: Memories of the Vietnam War." Japanese
who attended said such things as: "You always hear the story from the North's
side, but being able to hear the South's side gives you a fresh look at it," "I
didn't know about the fierce discrimination after the war," "In
future lectures, I'd like to hear what problems face their community living in
Japan."
Forging a Vietnamese-Japanese identity
At the Fujisawa Church in Kanagawa prefecture, Mass is offered in Vietnamese
at 3:30 pm on the first Sunday of every month. Vietnamese who normally attend
Japanese Masses at their home parishes enjoy being able to discuss their faith
and daily lives in their native tongue, and are happy to gather once a month,
coming from Fujisawa and neighboring towns.
Before Mass, there is a Vietnamese language class beginning at 2:30. More than
20 people attend each time, with Vietnamese elementary school students forming
the core group. Before the lesson, the children chatter at each other in Japanese,
quoting popular comedy routines and using the latest slang. For these children,
Japanese is their everyday language.
On September 7, the lesson consisted of practicing singing, "Come praise
God together with us. O Moon, give thanks to God!" The children learn about
faith and culture while also studying Vietnamese pronunciation, writing and vocabulary.
When Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Sister Nguyen Thi Muoi Chuc, 37, asked students
the meaning of ansan (light), the students cheerfully answered, "breakfast!" Both "light" and "breakfast" are
pronounced "ansan" and resemble each other, but the accent and way
of writing the two are different.
The nun said, "Even when I ask questions in Vietnamese, the kids reply in
Japanese. These are children born in Japan, so it's easier for them to speak
Japanese. But the parents' Japanese isn't strong enough to express their ideas,
so they worry about their children's upbringing."
For instance, Vietnamese children born in Japan typically put their hands together
in Japanese fashion and say "Itadakimasu" (traditional Japanese thanks
before eating) before eating, but their parents, who were born in Vietnam, have
no such custom. So, the following type of scene unfolds:
Child: "Dad, why don't you say 'Itadakimasu' ?"
Father: "Because I'm Vietnamese."
Child: "You've got bad manners."
In other areas, too -- such as Vietnamese children not being made to eat
with chopsticks until perhaps four or five years old -- there are differences
in etiquette and customs between the two countries. Some parents, perturbed by
the Japanese habits instilled in their children, become depressed and feel, "I
don't know how I should raise my children."
Sister Chuc began the combined faith education-Vietnamese language lessons three
years ago because she understood this distress. In addition, whenever parents
come to her for advice on childrearing outside the classes, she explains Japanese
culture and customs. The parents themselves say that if they can understand the
meaning of their children's behavior, they can feel more at ease.
Similarly, at Yamato Church in the same prefecture, a Vietnamese Mass is offered
at 11:30 on the morning of the second Sunday of each month. Sister Chuc conducts
a Vietnamese class there, too. There are some people who attend Mass at both
Fujisawa and Yamato.
Getting 'inside' Japan
Akatsuki-no-mura (Sunrise Village) in Maebashi, Gunma Prefecture, is a center
where Vietnamese refugees have received both acceptance and immigration assistance
since the 1980's. There are approximately 300 Vietnamese living in neighboring
Isesaki. The Catholics among them, numbering about 100, congregate at Isezaki
Church, part of the Saitama diocese.
Kokuai Tai, one of the leaders of the Catholics, spent half a year at Akatsuki-no-mura
25 years ago and since then has been working at a company that makes industrial
refrigerators.
"Everyone goes into public housing, because it's cheap. Having kids and putting
them through school takes money, you know. Me, I lived there 15 years, and then
I finally felt a bit more stability, so four years ago I built my own house."
Socially, he feels stable. But, "Faith-wise? No stability," he said. "Church
is my number one worry. Saturday and Sunday are, for me, work and work. And how
about my kids?"
Tai's three children, including his eldest daughter who works at a supermarket,
are more or less unable to get to church.
"When I first came to Japanese churches, I thought, 'Why aren't there any children?'
Now that it's me, I understand, 'Ah, so that's how it is.' When kids get into
middle school, they wind up separated. I'm concerned."
Isezaki Church is multi-national, with Masses in many languages. Tai commented
on the variety with a bit of national pride.
"Brazilians, Peruvians, Filipinos, Sri Lankans -- but us, we can speak Japanese.
I'm a bit proud of that. So, we go to Japanese Masses. It's good -- makes
for good practice, you know."
On months with a fifth Sunday, a priest comes from Tokyo to celebrate Mass in
Vietnamese. Usually, however, Vietnamese parishioners worship together with the
Japanese. They also take their share of church duties alongside their Japanese
colleagues. Tai is a member of the parish liturgy committee.
"The Peruvians and Brazilians do their work and then go home. But for us, we can't
go back where we came from. Before, there was never anything but moving away,
moving away. So now, we want to get inside, get inside! It's so we can get used
to Japanese society and the Church. We can't go back to our home country, so
that's all that's left, right? There's no choice but to do our best to
learn Japanese as best we can and get inside. Japanese and Vietnamese have a
good friendship, you see."
Tai was baptized in Japan, having come from a Buddhist home.
"My faith was developed in Japan, 100 percent," he said. "I want the
Church in Japan to increase the number of Masses for the people who work, so
we can go to Mass after work. And before work, too. In Vietnam, there are many
Masses in one day. After all, you have to go to church on Sunday, you know. Japan
might be a bit too easygoing."
'JESUS TABLE FELLOWSHIP COLLECTION' BRIDGES JAPAN AND PERU
Catholic Weekly, September 16, 2007
Each year during Advent, Catholics in the Saitama diocese take part
in the "Jesus Table Fellowship Collection." Participants "invite" Jesus
to join them at dinner each Friday and then put aside what they would
have spent on his meal as a donation for young people in other countries.
Each year, a group led by Fr. Hiroshi Oka, pastor of the Maebashi Church,
delivers the collected funds to selected countries every summer. This
year, a group of 13 ranging from middle school students to an 81-year-old
visited Peru Aug. 20-30.
The original plan was to deepen knowledge and understanding of Bolivia
as well as Peru, as there are many immigrants in Saitama from these
two countries. But, because of difficulties in scheduling flights,
the group had to give up plans to visit Bolivia.
In Lima, the Peruvian capital, they handed over about \500,000 to Franciscan
Father Manuel Kato, a Peruvian of Japanese ancestry, for institutions
that he runs and to Caritas Peru. The gift for Caritas Peru was collected
at the last minute at Masses at participants' parishes to assist victims
of an Aug. 15 earthquake in Peru and was supplemented by part of the
Jesus Table Fellowship Collection.
Through arrangements made by Fr. Kato, the Saitama group visited the
Immanuel Society, a home for the elderly. They also stopped at institutions
for poor and orphaned children. The Japanese visitors also cooked and
served at a midday and evening soup kitchen at a Lima parish that provides
meals for about 100 people.
According to Fr. Oka, this year's contribution was initially meant
to show gratitude for Peru's acceptance of Japanese immigrants. It
then focused upon aiding slum dwellers by providing food support for
children. The slum population has grown rapidly as hundreds of thousands
of people come to Lima from surrounding areas.
Kenji Fukasaku, 26, of the Mito Church in Ibaraki prefecture, commented
on this, his first visit to Peru.
"I experienced a world I'd never seen before. My views have broadened," he
said.
Yuki Ono, 21, from Maebashi Church in Gunma prefecture reflected, "I
had only picked up some Spanish greetings before going, so I had communication
problems. But, even so, I could mingle with children gaily and realized
there could be communication even where language does not work." She
added, "My first impression about Peru was that there is an extremely
big gap between the poor and the rich."
Fr. Oka compared the slums to a desert where rain is scarce and crops
rarely grow. He spoke of the hardships Peruvian children face, saying, "Living
there, children cannot but beg. I heard one of the group members who
had been on previous trips comment that the Peruvian slums looked more
miserable than those of other countries that were regarded as the worst
of the world."
The Jesus Table Fellowship Collection started in 1999 when the diocese
found it difficult to organize a pilgrimage to Rome for the Great Jubilee
Year 2000. Since then, each summer two groups have been organized and
sent out, one to visit Bangladesh and the other to some other country.
So far, in addition to Bangladesh and Peru, delegations have visited
India, Korea, Mongolia, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam.
KANAZAWA CHURCH PRESENTS LITURGY OF THE WORD ON INTERNET
Catholic Weekly, September 9, 2007
Thirty percent of Catholic parishes in Japan use Internet outreach
in one way or another. The Internet home page of the Kanazawa Church
in Kanagawa prefecture has become popular for its broadcast of each
Sunday's Liturgy of the Word, presenting the opening rites of the Mass,
the readings and the homily. Some 200 people view the site each week.
The editor of the weekly program is Akira Yoshida who used to work
as a reporter for a large TV corporation. He handles the entire operation
at the church, videotaping, editing and posting the program on the
Internet.
Yoshida ensures that the video does not violate anyone's privacy, that
it achieves harmony between image and word, and that is makes an adequate
presentation of the biblical message. He makes the video available
each Sunday at one pm, two hours after the end of that day's Mass.
Yoshida explained how he got involved in this activity.
"About five years ago at a Confirmation ceremony, Bishop Masahiro Umemura
gave me a card on which he had written, 'Try hard to spread the Word.'
That got me thinking about what contribution I could offer using my
professional experience."
Yoshida said that Internet: A New Forum for Proclaiming the Gospel,
the 2002 World Communications Day message of Pope John Paul II, awakened
him to an Internet mission. He produced a test video and Father Masahiko
Iino, then pastor of the church, encouraged him to move ahead with
the project.
In Aug. 2004, Yoshida went to Thomas Sonoda of the Koshien Church in
Hyogo prefecture, who is the host of the site Holy Ring, for help in
uploading the program. The following October, the Kanazawa parish acknowledged
the work as its official home page.
Yoshida explained his decision to broadcast only the first part of
the Mass.
"The reason I chose a visual presentation of the Liturgy of the Word
rather than a live broadcast of the whole Mass was that I felt a vocation
to proclaim the Word to the world accurately and widely. As the apostles
spoke directly to people in the street, I thought a visual presentation
could create a similar effect today. I aim to work out an effect different
from that of print media."
According to Father Mitsuyoshi Morita, present pastor of the Kanazawa
Church, non-Christians in the area and even people in Australia access
the site.
In November, the videos will have completed the three-year liturgical
cycle of readings for the Mass. Though it has not been easy to continue
it every week without a break, Yoshida said, "I will be happy
if this home page helps people to respect and help each other and live
together in peace."
The Kanazawa Catholic Church website can be viewed at http://kanazawa.catholic.ne.jp.
DATE AND PLACE SET FOR BEATIFICATION CEREMONY FOR JAPANESE MARTYRS
Catholic Weekly, October 7, 2007
The Vatican has announced that the beatification ceremony for 188 Japanese
martyrs will take place next year on Nov. 24 in Nagasaki.
The public announcement by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan
(CBCJ) took place at a Sept. 29 press conference at the Nagasaki archbishop's
residence. Details of the site and time of the ceremony will be decided
later.
The cardinal who heads the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of
Saints will represent Pope Benedict XVI at the ceremony, the first
beatification to be conducted in Japan.
The press conference in Nagasaki was covered by reporters from 14 newspapers
and television outlets. Bishop Osamu Mizobe of Takamatsu, a member
of the CBCJ committee responsible for promoting the beatification,
made the announcement.
The CBCJ general secretary, Father Manyo Maeda, read a message from
Archbishop Takeo Okada, president of the bishops' conference. In his
statement, the Tokyo archbishop said, "I hope we take to heart
the meaning of the treasure our predecessors in the faith left us."
Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami, chairman of the committee charged with
organizing the beatification ceremony and bishop of the place where
it will take place, offered his thanks to all those, living and dead,
who had worked toward the beatification.
Bishop Mizobe as well as Archbishops Takami and Okada stressed that
the example of the martyrs who forfeited their lives is valuable today
when freedom of religion and the state of the family are threatened.
Though the site of the beatification has yet to be determined, Fr.
Isao Hashimoto, chancellor of the Nagasaki archdiocese, said that 20,000
or more people are expected to attend.
The 188 Japanese who will be beatified were martyred throughout the
country between 1603 and 1639. The majority of them -- 183 -- were
laypeople. There are only five priests and Religious in the group,
including Petro Kibe, a Jesuit priest who had been ordained in Rome
and was martyred in Edo (now Tokyo). Julian Nakaura, one of a group
four of young men who went to Europe as representatives of Christian
daimyo (feudal lords) in 1582 and returned in 1590, is also among the
new blesseds.
Beatifications take place in areas connected with the lives of those
to be beatified, but the ceremony is organized by the Holy See and
a papal representative at the ceremony makes the proclamation. While
saints are commemorated liturgically throughout the world, the beatified
are generally remembered only in their homelands.
The move toward the latest beatification began in response to a call
from Pope John Paul II during his 1981 visit to Japan. In 1984, the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints accepted documentation from the
CBCJ regarding the 188 martyrs and began its own investigation. On
June 1 of this year, the congregation received approval from Pope Benedict
for the beatification.
Those connected with Japan who have previously been canonized or beatified
include St. Paul Miki and his companions (the 26 Martyrs of Japan),
the 205 Blesseds of Japan, St. Thomas Nishi and the 15 Martyrs and
St. Maximilian Kolbe.
This latest beatification is notable, however, in that it was not sponsored
by a religious order. This is the first such movement arising from
the Catholic Church in Japan.
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