austraLasia #2803 Don Bosco in Japan: a full roundup
by Fr Cipriani
TOKYO: 12 February 2011 -- By this stage, Don Bosco's
pilgrimage' to the Land of the Rising Sun is just past the
halfway mark. As one can read in the BM Vol 17, in the
famous missionary dream of July 1885 that took Don Bosco in
his dreams to Santiago in Chile, Buenos Aires, Brazil,
Africa, Madagascar, Persian Gulf, India, Australia, China,
and so forth, he saw a city which he called 'Meaco', at the
entrance to an extended stretch of water at the foot of a
mountain. Fr Lemoyne, thinking that the then elderly
Don Bosco might have made a mistake, corrected this to
'Macao'. But there is a Japanese Salesian interpretation:
Don Bosco saw things correctly! The mountain would be Fuji
and the city, ‘Meako' or 'Miyako’, the ancient capital of
Kyoto and now the new (1868) capital of Edo, which we all
know asTokyo.
Japan opted for the Statue instead of the
Casket. We set out to see that Don Bosco could visit the
largest number of communities and works run by Salesians,
Salesian Sisters and Sisters of Charity of Jesus. Since we
were the first to use the Statue, it arrived prior to the
due date. With a thought to the famous ‘ bilocations’ of our
father, the Provincial took advantage of the situation to
take Don Bosco, on 31 January, to the slopes of Mount
Fuji on the shores of Lake Yamanaka, where there is an FMA
community: I could not even begin to describe the joy and
surprise of the 14 Sisters there.
The official pilgrimage began on 2
February with Mass at 6 a.m. at the Provincial House. From
Tokyo to Osaka by truck then on the ferry to Miyazaki, in
the south, where the Japan mission began 85 years ago, with
Mons. Cimatti.
The relic was received and welcomed
by the faithful at the Miyazaki Parish, including Diocesan
clergy, confreres from the Salesian House too: the church
was packed beyond expectations. The Provincial celebrated
this moment as the official beginning of the pilgrimage. In
the afternoon a visit to the Sisters of Charity at
Kawaminami and in the evening, to the Sisters of Charity at
Miyazaki: Don Bosco was welcomed by the kids orchestra
there. Again the church was filled, this time with children,
elderly people from the local hospice, the Sisters and many
faithful from the parish who could not come int he morning.
The following day was declared a feast day for the more than
a thousand pupils from the Salesian School. They sang the Missa
de angelis (despite the majority not being Catholic)
in honour of Don Bosco. It was so moving to see their
attitude before the Relic.
In the afternoon the pilgrimage moved on
to Oita: the first stage was FMA di Oita–Ozai. In the
afternoon on to St Joseph’s Nakatsu. A good number of
Cooperators from Kita Kyushu were there, along with the
faithful from Shindenbaru parish which has given many
ovcations to the Salesian Family. Then on to Nakatsu-San no
cho parish. Here too numbers far exceeded the preparations.
On Sunday 6 February, there were great
celebrations at Beppu, the centre of missionary activity for
the Oita Prefecture. Following the 9 a.m. Mass there was a
constant flow of pilgrims from surrounding parishes. In the
afternoon there was a solemn mass in English for students at
the Asia University.
Then it was Nagasaki's turn. Not that we
have so many communities in this cradle of Japanese
Christianity. The Sisters of Charity welcomed the Relic in
the evening, then children and parents the following
day from the FMA kindergarten at Omura. then a long trip(
600 km) to Osaka, and it snowed on the way!
Wednesday saw visits to the SDB schools, Seiko Gakuin, at
Osaka: they were in two groups, middle and senior school,
and though most are not Christian they were very happy to be
with the Relic and with Don Bosco. During free moments
students from Josei school run by the FMA, came to pray.
That evening the pilgrimage moved to Yokkaichi, where the
Salesian aspirantate is. As well as the aspirants, various
friends and benefactors were there to welcome the Statue.
Again for Mass and in the surrounds there were overwhelming
numbers.
That evening to Hamamatsu, with its large
number of immigrants, especially Brasilians and Filipinos.
Don Bosco was carried in procession from the Centre in a
solemn 'mikoshi' ( a kind of of portable 'baldacchino', very
much in use for religious festivals).
Huge crowds for Confessions: Japanese,
Portuguese, Spanish, English.
The following day it was off the the
Salesian Sisters' School, Shizuoka Salesiao: it was moving
to see the devotion of students and teachers.
Then off to Yokohama, Saginuma parish.
The weather was poor but many people turned out.
From12 February, Don Bosco is back
in Tokyo. There will be a Symposium on education, then a
vigil at the parish and the following day a solemn
celebration at Meguro-Salesio with Bishop Mizobe
presiding. _________________ AustraLasia
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