Japan Catholic News
May 2009
MASSES IN KOBE CANCELED AS FLU STRIKES
Catholic Weekly, May 24, 2009
In response to an outbreak of H1N1 flu (swine flu) in Kobe, Archbishop
Jun Ikenaga of Osaka on May 16 issued an emergency directive canceling
May 17 Sunday Masses at churches in the infected areas. An event
marking the Church's World Communications Day was also cancelled, though
one in Osaka was carried out as planned.
The archbishop sent the directive to three Kobe Churches, Rokko, Kobe
Chuo and Sumiyoshi. The three are in areas where public schools have been
closed in connection with the flu outbreak.
According to the diocesan chancery office, in addition to the three churches
in Kobe two other churches, Suita and Ibaraki in Osaka, followed the directive.
Fr. Hiroshi Kanda, diocesan chancellor, said, "Kobe people are highly
sensitive to natural disasters, especially so after the Great Hanshin-Awaji
Earthquake. Early warning is rather welcomed."
The archdiocese made its guidelines public on May 1 as to what to do in
the event that infection should spread through the area. It stressed that
of prime importance was to exchange timely and correct information and
that any actions must fit local circumstances.
In view of the fact that the genetic type of virus is being identified
and the national policy to shut out the virus is beginning to tone down,
the chancery office plans to wait and see to how to deal with Sunday Masses
in the future. The collection and analysis of information and seeking advice
from doctors are its current tasks.
On May 16, Fr. Masakatsu Nakano, pastor of the Ashiya Church in Hyogo
prefecture, decided after seeking advice from a Catholic doctor to ask
persons whose body temperature was over 37.5 degrees to refrain from attending
Mass. In the evening, however, the city office requested that the church
cancel the Mass. In the early morning of May 17, Fr. Nakano told parishioners
of the cancellation through the parish telephone network.
On May 18, Rokko Gakuin, a Jesuit-run Junior/Senior High School in Nada,
Kobe, released news that nine students were found infected of the flu.
The archbishop called on Catholics to "keep calm and not overreact
to the situation; deal with incidents wisely with a cool head."
CARITAS JAPAN CALLS FOR EMERGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
FOR UNEMPLOYED
Catholic Weekly, April 26, 2009
The Episcopal Commission For Social Activities made an Emergency Appeal
for Saving Lives of the Unemployed 2009 in January. It called on the
whole Church to take effective action for a multitude of people unemployed
due to the world's recent economic crises.
The background of the appeal was the worsening indexes of the Japanese
labor market. The February statistics showed that the ratio of job
offers to job seekers dropped to 0.95 and the unemployment rate worsened
to 4.4 percent.
Following up on the appeal, Caritas Japan organized an "Emergency
Contribution to Save Lives" campaign calling on dioceses, parishes,
religious orders and laity for special donations.
The money donated would be distributed to aid activities approved by
Caritas Japan. As of April 15, seven aid groups had received 3.2 million
yen and another seven are now on the list for approval.
Aid programs vary from meal services to shelters. Recipients include
churches and civil groups. Any group can apply for support through
their local diocesan office.
The Hanno Church in southwest Saitama prefecture provides one example
of the sort of activities that churches are engaged in to meet the
crisis.
A colony of about 300 Peruvian and other South American immigrants
belong to the Hanno Church. About 40 children attend a catechism class
and their parents have formed a voluntary group around the school.
The group began to see unemployed members since last year and their
number has grown rapidly from 100 to 150 in March. The group's aid
activities began in December, providing foodstuffs and meals, and now
includes medical and mental care for tired or discouraged members.
Language poses a problem. Some can go back to Peru, but others cannot
because their children speak only Japanese and are attending local
public schools. Those parents try hard to overcome the difficulty of
staying in Japan.
One of the group leaders, Teresa Kono, 55, said, "A big problem
at the moment is those members whose unemployment insurance has expired."
She continued, "We have a variety of helping hands. For instance,
four churches in Saitama opened Japanese language classes, and regularly
make telephone calls to find jobs on our behalf. Hanno City officials
voluntarily help us fill out forms. Recently 'Hello Work,' a local
job placement office, gave us a third briefing on the job market, and
about 50 members attended. Our window to Japanese society is thus widened."
Donations may be made to Caritas Japan by postal money order 00170-5-95979.
Mark the message box, "Emergency Contribution to Save Lives." A
deadline is temporarily set at the end of July.
PILGRIMS TO TOKUSHIMA AND KAGAWA HONOR BEATIFIED
MARTYRS
Catholic Weekly, April 26, 2009
Thirty-two Catholics from Tokyo, Akita and Kobe joined a pilgrimage
led by Cardinal Seiichi Shirayanagi to four churches and sites associated
with newly-beatified martyrs in Tokushima and Kagawa prefectures April
14-16.
They celebrated Mass at the Anan Church in Tokushima on April 14, where
a new stone monument commemorates the beatification of Fr. Diego Ryosetsu
Yuki, one of 188 martyrs beatified last November.
Fr. Yuki was a descendant of the Awa Kubo family in Hirashima-sho Awa-nokuni
(present-day Nakagawa-cho, Awa-shi). The Awa Kubo family were descendants
of the Ashikaga clan, the founder of the Muromachi shogunate. Fr. Yuki
evangelized actively as "the last missionary in Goki (present-day
Kinki region)" in the beginning of the Edo era (seventeenth century),
during which the Anti-Christian Edicts were in effect. He was martyred
in Osaka on Feb. 26, 1636.
In his homily, Cardinal Shirayanagi said, "Let's ask for Fr. Yuki's
intercession at this church that commemorates him, so that we can live
with the same spirit that faced death because he devoted his life to
Christ just as Christ died for us out of love."
The pilgrims visited the Naruto Church in Tokushima, where they prayed
and attended a Mass. Then they visited a stone at a recently-discovered
cemetery in Awa-shi that appears to commemorate Fr. Yuki.
Cardinal Shirayanagi and Bishop Osamu Mizobe of Takamatsu, chairman
of the Special Committee for Promoting Canonization and Beatification,
concelebrated a mass commemorating the 188 martyrs at the Sakuramachi
Church in Takamatsu, Kagawa prefecture.
NAHA DIOCESE ESTABLISHES MULTI-ETHNIC PASTORAL
CENTER
Catholic Weekly, May 3, 2009
Naha Bishop Toshio Oshikawa opened an international pastoral center
in April to provide better care for the increasing number of Filipinos
and other immigrants in Okinawa. A preparation desk was set up at the
Chancery Office,
The bishop said, "The Naha Diocese has many small isolated islands
where no churches exist, though a number of Catholic immigrants live
there. The planned center is to provide such unattended Catholics with
spiritual care, baptism, catechesis and communion services."
The bishop explained further, "The final goal is to form a home
for God's peoples crossing nationalities, cultures and life-styles.
It will help all immigrants mingle with each other and local Japanese
islanders overcoming distance, not only geographical but also spiritual.
To begin with we need to survey all Catholics in the islands that we
may know all they do and want."
Missionary Society of the Philippines Father Christopher Amoroso was
appointed the first director and is expected to arrive in Naha in June.
Mercelina (Mercy) Jose Cristobal, a Filipina lay missionary, has begun
to work at the office.
As he used to be a missionary to Taiwan, Fr. Amoroso can also serve
Chinese Catholics, while Mercy has worked with young Catholics in Naha.
To broaden her experience and learn more she visited similar multi-ethnic
centers in Tokyo and Saitama last year.
She said, "At first. Neddie Codog, a Filipina lay missionary in
the Saitama Diocese, came to Okinawa and told us what she had actually
experienced. Then I received a training in Saitama, and am now working
to build up networks between Japanese and foreign Catholics. We also
keep in touch with the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of
Migrants and Itinerant People of the Catholic Bishops Conference of
the Philippines."
She added, "I look forward to serving people who feel lonely away
from their families and who endure various hardships. I pray that staff,
collaborators and volunteers may come together without prejudice and
that all may create harmony at the center, sharing the love of God."
Fr. Amoroso will decide upon an official name of the center. Teams
of language-based volunteers, Japanese Sisters and local Japanese parishioners
will be formed as working units.
OPENING OF NEW SEMINARY CELEBRATED AT TOKYO AND
FUKUOKA CAMPUSES
Catholic Weekly, April 12, 2009
 The inauguration of the Japan Catholic Seminary, a new national seminary
formed by the merger of the Tokyo Catholic Seminary and the Fukuoka
St. Sulpice Seminary, was celebrated in Tokyo April 1 and in Fukuoka
April 3.
The new national seminary utilizes the sites of the former seminaries
while instituting a revised and integrated education and formation
program.
Archbishop Alberto Bottari De Castello, apostolic nuncio in Japan,
Sulpician Fr. Jacques D'Arcy, provincial superior of the Canadian province
of Sulpicians and the new rector, Sulpician Fr. Tsuyomi Makiyama took
part in the seminary's opening Mass in Tokyo.
The participants, some 120 in all, included 11 Japanese bishops, a
diocesan administrator, formators and teachers, lay supporters of Ichiryukai
("grain of wheat," an organization that raises financial
support for the training of priests) and 45 seminarians.
During the Mass, the nuncio read a Nov. 18, 2008, decree of Cardinal
Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,
authorizing the new seminary.
Based upon the decree, Archbishop Takeo Okada of Tokyo formally announced
the opening of the Japan Catholic Seminary and the appointments of
Fr. Makiyama and 11 formators.
In his homily, Nagasaki Archbishop Mitsuaki Takami, chairman of the
seminary committee, reminded the audience of the Twelve Apostles who,
through being close to Jesus learned how to approach people and deepened
their understanding of their mission. He told the seminarians to, "Take
to heart the truth that it is God Himself who forms you."
He continued, "Respect people individually. Value contacts with
them. Love them equally. These should be your objectives. We bishops
expect all of you — seminarians, formators and anyone who engages
in spiritual and intellectual formation — to work hard to become
or form the diocesan priests we hope to see."
Before closing the Mass Fr. Makiyama, the new rector, introduced the
seminarians and staff individually.
He said, "The purpose of the merger was neither efficiency nor
convenience. What has brought us here today was a voice of the whole
Japanese Churches that says, 'We want good pastors!'"
He concluded, "What are 'good pastors' supposed to be? They are
priests who readily respond to the Church's needs and work toward their
goals together with their parishioners. Of prime importance is flexibility
to check constantly if the ways are appropriate and make changes where
necessary."
CARITAS JAPAN CONTINUES ASSISTANCE TO MONGOLIAN CHILDREN
Catholic Weekly, February 8, 2009
Following an inspection trip last October, Caritas Japan has approved
the continuation for three years of support for childhood education
in Mongolia.
The project was introduced in 2005 to help disaster-stricken people
when blizzards and snowstorms hit Mongolia.
"My Home," a kindergarten run by Caritas Mongolia in Erdenet,
the third largest city of the country, provides a lunch service, healthcare
and hygiene for about 40 children from local poor families.
When the Mongolian new market economy adopted after the collapse of
the Soviet Union failed, many Erdenet people had to abandon their apartments
and removed to "ger quarters" (traditional tents) in the
suburbs. Though there are three government-based Child Care Centers
of Mongolia (CCM), the poverty of such ger-resident families made them
unable to pay for the CCM. Their children wound up unattended in deteriorating
living conditions. To take care of them, My Home was set up.
My Home applies the Montessori method to foster the children's growth,
drawing out their own inherent initiative.
A library is attached to My Home. The aim is to keep children over
the kindergarten age reading and studying for themselves. Over 500
ger boys and girls have registered and 40 to 60 come in every day.
At the October inspection by Caritas Japan, parents made affirmative
comments on My Home. One said, "The CCM is punitive. They often
impose punishments. On the other hand My Home first explain to children
why they were wrong. Children can look back upon their deeds, admit
their mistakes, and say 'sorry.'"
Another parent said, "My child goes to the library every day.
Studying there seems enjoyable."
Society of the Divine Word Father Daisuke Narui, executive director
of Caritas Japan, said, "It was about 15 years ago that missionaries
came to Mongolia. The Catholic Church there is still in the developing
stage, with five or six hundred believers in four parishes. The Church
will establish respect and reliance among people as the Religious working
there on education or welfare build up credibility among the people
at large."
Sawako Inae of Caritas Japan said, "The kindergarten is the largest
and central project of Caritas Mongolia. To promote My Home is our
important mission and responsibility."
|
