4619(II)_Building bridges between Japan and Korea province
Visit of Korean Salesian provincial in Tokyo
January 23, 2018
Tokyo, Japan, 22 January 2018 -- During last weekend Fr. Stefano Yang, provincial of Korea, visited most of the Salesian presences in Tokyo, accompanied by Fr. Andrew Chang, Korean temporary missionary in Japan. On Sunday Fr. Stefano spent a meaningful time with the Korean community of Mikawashima Parish and got first hand experience of the joys and challenges of Salesian life in Japan.
From 1954 until 1972 Korea was a Delegation of Japan Province, first Salesian missionaries were sent from Japan to Gwangju in order to start the first apostolic work, now known as the Salesian High School. In 1961-1962 the first two Korean novices were sent to Chofu, where met still Fr. Cimatti, the made the first profession (Br. Moise Kim and Fr. Tadeus Park). Until now many senior confreres keep the memory of their fellow friends in the other country.
But only 40 years later the Korea - Japan relationship were revived by the mutual visit of both provincials: Fr. Klement to Tokyo in 1997 and Fr. Fujikawa in Seoul in 2000. Since 2002 the confreres of our two provinces organize the quinquennium encounter every second year, rotating the venue between Korea and Japan.
Fr. Andy Chang is the second Korean SDB sent to Japan, since 2016. Another Korean Salesian, Fr. Sebastian Lee, received his obedience for Japan (3 year agreement) in January 2018 starting with an English course preparation in the Philippines. In the meantime also the two FMA provinces of Japan and Korea started already their communication about possible temporary missionary sending.
There are large distances of language, geography and history among many of the EAO provinces. We are happy to build bridges with the nearby province, especially through the stay of other province confreres in Japan!
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