| BISHOP’S RESIDENCE |
|---|
| 6-8-5, Higashisendai, Miyagino-ku, Sendai, MIYAGI, 983-0833 Tel.022-297-3030 |
| CHANCERY OFFICE |
| 1-2-12, Honcho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, MIYAGI, 980-0833 Tel.022-222-7371 Fax.222-7378 |
| CATHEDRAL |
| MOTODERAKOJI CHURCH 1-2-12, Honcho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, MIYAGI, 980-0014 Tel.022-222-5507 |
| WEB SITE |
| http://www.sendai.catholic.jp/ |
Bishop
Most Reverend
Edgar Gacutan, C.I.C.M., Bishop of Sendai
- September 23, 1964 Born in Cagayan Philippines
- April 23, 1994 Ordained Priest
- December 8, 2021 Appointed Bishop of Sendai
- March 19, 2022 Ordained Bishop
Predecessors
- Most Rev. Alexandre Berlioz, M.E.P. 1891-1927
- Msgr. Alfred Joseph Wood, M.E.P. (Apostolic Administrator) 1927-1931
- Most Rev. Andre Dumas, O.P. 1931-1936
- Most Rev. Marie-Joseph Lemieux, O.P. 1936-1941
- Most Rev. Michael Wasaburo Urakawa 1941-1954
- Most Rev. Peter Arikata Kobayashi 1954-1976
- Most Rev. Raymond Chihiro Sato, O.P. 1976-1998
- Most Rev. Francis X. Osamu Mizobe, S.D.B. 2000-2004
- Most Rev. Martin Tetsuo Hiraga 2006-2020
History
The Apostolic Prefecture of Hakodate was separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Japan on April 17, 1891, and included Hokkaido and the Tohoku district. The prefecture was raised to a diocese on June 15, 1891. Alexandre Berlioz was appointed the first Bishop. On August 13, 1912, the three prefectures of Niigata, Yamagata, and Akita were entrusted to the newly established Apostolic Prefecture of Niigata. On February 12, 1915, when the Apostolic Prefecture of Sapporo, including all of Hokkaido except the district of Hakodate, was established, the area of jurisdiction of the Hakodate Diocese was reduced. On the retirement of Bishop Berlioz, Msgr. Alfred Joseph Wood served as apostolic administrator for the Hakodate Diocese. In November 1931, the Hakodate Diocese was entrusted to Canadian Dominicans and Bishop Andre Dumas, O.P. served as apostolic administrator.
In 1936 Fr. Marie-Joseph Lemieux, O.P. was appointed to succeed Bishop Dumas. On March 9, after receiving permission from the Holy See, he moved the center of the Diocese from Hakodate to Sendai and changed the name of the diocese from Hakodate Diocese to Sendai Diocese. In 1941 Bishop Lemieux resigned and Fr. Wasaburo Urakawa, a specialist in Japanese Christian history, was chosen to succeed him and was consecrated bishop. In December 1952, the district of Hakodate was separated from the Diocese of Sendai and was incorporated into the Diocese of Sapporo. With this, the area of jurisdiction of the Diocese of Sendai became the four prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima, which is the present situation.
In 1954 Bishop Urakawa resigned and Fr. Arikata Kobayashi was consecrated bishop to succeed him and served as Bishop of Sendai for 22 years. On January 23, 1976, Bishop Kobayashi resigned, and 24, Fr. Chihiro Sato, O.P. was appointed to succeed him and was consecrated bishop on March 20. He resigned in 1998 for medical reasons and Fr. Tatsuei Takanohashi served as diocesan administrator afterward. On June 12, 2000, Salesian Fr. Osamu Mizobe was appointed as the successor of the see and consecrated Bishop on September 9, 2000.On May 14, 2004, Bishop Mizobe was appointed Bishop of Takamatsu. Fr. Tetsuo Hiraga served as diocesan administrator afterward.On December 10, 2005, Fr. Hiraga was appointed Bishop of Sendai, consecrated on March 4, 2006.On March 18, 2020, resignation of Bishop Hiraga was accepted and Fr. Shiro Komatsu was appointed as Apostolic Administrator of the diocese.
On December 8, 2021, Fr. Gacutan was appointed Bishop of Sendai, consecrated on March 19, 2022.