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5282(II)_Young Vietnamese Workers in Japan are hungry for spiritual things

Meeting Jesus in the young Vietnamese migrants in Japan

December 25, 2019

By Fr. Michael Lap, Vice Provincial Japan

Nagasaki, Japan, 23 December 2019 -- The whole family of Jesus experiences the same destiny as millions of migrants or refugees do all around the world. In many East Asia-Oceania countries we meet migrant workers from many other parts of the world, even from other continents. In Japan there is growing phenomenon of young migrant workers from Vietnam, the estimates are already about 300,000 migrant workers and students now living in Japan.

After the first All-Japan-Catholic conference with the participation of all 16 dioceses and major religious congregations involved in the migrant ministry (March 2018 - AustraLasia news 4670), the Salesian family too, enters into a more systematic apostolate in this area. According to estimates some 20,000 Vietnamese migrants in Japan are Catholics.

We can find the Vietnamese migrant workers and students in some of our Salesian parishes. The Tokyo-Chofu community has already undertaken a more systematic approach to spiritual assistance and also the Vietnam-Mongolia province (VIE) recently sent one Salesian Brother for this specific ministry. A good number of them recently attended the priestly ordination of our new priest Fr. John Phu. During this Christmas time I'm now in Kyushu - Nagasaki, Aino community and Aino Salesian parish with Fr Maeda. We have a day for Young Vietnamese workers in Aino and Shimabara area (Nagasaki). We share with them the beautiful Letter of Pope Francis "Admirabile Signum" and help them with confessions. Really, the young Vietnamese workers are hungry for spiritual things!