TOKYO: 12 March 2012 --
For Japan Province, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March were two
very meaningful and happy days.
On Saturday 10th at 2 pm in the beautiful Himonya church
(Tokyo Meguro)
the priestly ordination of Fr Anthony Takei took place.
Archbishop
Peter Okada Takeo, Tokyo, was the ordaining prelate,
surrounded by
some sixty priests, some of whom came from Vietnam and
Australia, this
latter where Anthony had recently spent nearly a year studying
English.
More than 500 faithful, half of whom were Vietnamese, were
present.
Anthony, now a Japanese citizen, was born in Vietnam in 1978.
With the Vietnamese hymns and an orchestra the ceremony was
very
moving, and at the end the new priest told the story of his
vocation.
Already attending a Salesian institute as a child, Anthony
very soon
came to know about Don Bosco, but at the beginning of his
senior school
studies he went back home, where he attended church in a
nearby area,
run by the Salesians. In 1998 Anthony found himself in Japan,
where his
father had already been working for some years. This was the
second
time that he was away from the Salesians, but it wasn't for
long, since
in Japan too, Anthony soon came into contact with Don Bosco's
sons,
this time with the intention of becoming one of them in his
newly
adopted country. In 2003 he made his first profession and
began his
life as a Salesian.
The ordination was followed by festivities, Vietnamese food,
songs dances, a magic performance, and orchestral pieces.
On the following day, Sunday 11th at 10.30 am in the Parish
church at
Chofu, Anthony celebrated his First Mass, a solemn and moving
ceremony
also. Whereas the festivities previously had a distinctively
Vietnamese
flavour, this time it was Japan's turn. The aspirants at
Yokkaichi
enacted two brief plays: one recalling the new priest's
vocational
story and the other presenting Fr Cagliero. The post-novices
put on a
folkore dance, while the Salesian Sisters presented a
Presentation on
their work of educating Japanese girls.
Fr Anthony will soon go to the Philippines for a year of
apostolate there before commencing his mission in the Japan
Province.
