He was satisfied in his demand when he turned 46! Don Rinaldi sent him to lead the group founding the Salesian presence in Japan.
He worked there for 40 years. He won the hearts of the Japanese by his kindness, getting involved, like Don Bosco, in the apostolate
of the press and of music. He had around 2000 concerts in Japan, Manchuria, North and South Korea.
As rector of the first Salesian community in Miyazaki, he would become, three years later, the Superior of the new vice province. He
travelled a lot to keep encouraging the first Salesians in Japan, opening works for those who were poor and abandoned. In 1935 he
was appointed Prefect Apostolic. After the difficult war years, complete with all its difficult sacrifices, he founded “Boys Town” in Tokyo,
accommodating 260 orphans and providing primary, secondary and technical schooling. In 1949, when he was 70 years old, he
continued as rector of the studentate of philosophy and theology at Chofu for a further ten years.
He died here, like a patriarch, on the 6th October 1965. His body – re-exhumed in 1977 and found to be perfectly intact – now lies in
the crypt in Chofu.
From the Letter of Fr. Vincent Cimatti to cleric Luigi dal Fior
(4 March 1938)
... Courage my Luigi: Be generous with the Lord, if you want Him
to be generous with you. Total Donation: body and spirit: and with
Don Bosco, he works for you and for others.
I will ask that Jesus will keep you as his usque in finem; and also
that you may help your poor brother who, as you told me, (also Fr.
Grigoletto Don wrote to me) is not well. I cannot be near you, but
you can understand that with affection and with prayer I will be
even closer to you.
Best wishes, therefore, and pray for me. On the 21st is St.
Benedict’s feast: "ora et labora", is so similar to "work is prayer" of
Don Bosco. I embrace and bless you ....
Fr. Cimatti playing soccer with young Salesians
Mission ad Gentes is a Sign of Vitality
On the occasion of world Mission Sunday 2009 Benedict XVI underlines once again “the Church works not to extend power or
affirm dominion, but to carry, to all, Christ, the salvation of the world” since “the effort to proclaim the Gospel to the people of
today... is a service rendered to the Christian community and also to the whole of humanity”. In fact the dispersion, multiplicity,
conflict, enmity which afflict humanity”.
The Pontiff underlines that “the Church's mission is to “infect” all peoples with hope” and “Christ calls, sanctifies and sends his disciples to
announce the Kingdom of God, so that all nations may become the people of God… The universal mission should become a fundamental
constant in the life of the Church. To announce the Gospel must be for us, as it was for the Apostle Paul, a primary and impelling duty”.
“The mission of the Church, therefore, is to call all peoples to the salvation accomplished by God through his incarnate Son. It is therefore
necessary to renew our commitment to proclaiming the Gospel which is leaven of freedom and progress, brotherhood, unity and peace (cfr
Ad gentes, 8). I would “confirm once more that the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church” (Evangelii
nuntiandi, 14) … Missionary impulse has always been a sign of the vitality of our Churches (cfr Redemptoris missio 2).
In the conclusion the Pope reaffirms that “evangelisation is the work of the Spirit” and therefore he calls on Catholics to “to pray that the Holy
Spirit will intensify the Church's passion for the mission to spread the Kingdom of God”.
(for the full text http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=24614&lan=eng)
salesian mission intention October 2009
«That SDB confreres, FMA Sisters and the lay volunteers belonging to the
140th mission expedition may fit in well with their new mission assignments in
their new provinces. May their example of total giving of self to proclamation of
the Gospel awaken new mission vocations amongst Salesians»
On 27 September 2009 a new group of missionaries was sent out from the Basilica of Mary
Help of Christians to Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. They come from 25 Provinces.
We pray that their example may help “every province to foster a missionary spirit, generously
placing at the disposition of the Rector Major Salesian personnel for missio ad gentes and
foster mission vocations also amongst lay people and families”(GC 26,49).
for the Pope's general and missionary intention see:www.sdb.org
for suggestions and contributions: cagliero11@gmail.com
