New from Maria Province, Japan

Diamond Jubilee celebrations

This year on November 21 the Silver and Diamond Jubilee celebrations for Sister Atsuko Nakamoto (25 years) and Sisters Kayoko Shibata, Yoko Sato were held at Hanazono cho convent. Mass was celebrated by Bishop Tetsuo Hiraga and Father Charles Bolduc. Congratulations!

110th anniversary of the foundation of Meiji Gakuen

Due to the corona virus the plans to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the foundation of Meiji Gakuen on November 7th were revised as follows. For the elementary school the program was televised to their classrooms. For the Junior, Senior High students, the presentation was for two grades at a time to avoid overcrowding the available space. Meiji Gakuen was founded in 1910 by Mr. Keiichiro Yasukawa and Mr. Kenjiro Matsumoto, and was transferred to the CND in 1949. It was a ceremony to renew our gratitude to the founders and to those who have supported our long history. Here are some impressions of the event from children and students in response to the question, “What kind of person do you think the founders and Marguerite would want us to be?”

(Elementary School Student)

“I think they would want us to gentle and kind-hearted persons” (Sara Ishisaka, Grade 1)

“I thought the founders wanted us to be caring people who could contribute to society. And I thought it was amazing that you put future generations ahead of yourself and spent your whole life creating a school. Thanks to you founders.” (Himari Abe, Grade 5)

(Junior High Student)

“It remains in my heart that Mr. Keiichiro Yasukawa lost his brothers, one after another, and that he used the vast wealth gained from the management of coal mines for the world rather than for himself personally. Also, I thought Marguerite was so courageous and amazing that she went to Canada after hearing Mary’s words, “Go. I will not abandon you”. And after arriving in Canada she taught Indigenous and French children without discrimination.” (2nd year Masafumi Kurokawa)

(Senior High Student)

“I was impressed that the spirit of “becoming a person for others” and love of neighbor has continued unchanged for 110 years. Marguerite’s teachings from Montreal, Canada to Japan, from Fukushima to Tobata and to other distant countries are now transmitted across time and space and I think they will continue to be transmitted. (2nd year Kazuko Nishiyama)

Utsunomiya Community in 2020

The Utsunomiya community belongs to Saitama Diocese. In recent years, the Catholic Church in this area has seen an increase in young believers from Vietnam. In the case of the church, we are caring for, there are many Vietnamese people, and Vietnamese people are also active in cleaning the church and decorating for Christmas.

As an activity to go to the periphery, Sister Shimazaki supports junior high school students' English learning two days a week at the "Learning Support Class", a self-reliance support system for people in need, at the Tochigi Prefectural Youth Support Organization (General Incorporated Association). Sister Ikeda also volunteers to record the new Corona Vietnamese Technical Intern Trainee Hotline, which has been held once a month since November at the Jesuit Tsukamaki Center for Vietnamese believers. (Sister Yoko Ikeda)