3886(I)_From Timor Leste to Japan, Hamamatsu

By Fr. Ambrosio Da Silva, SDB

Hamamatsu, Japan, 26 January 2016 - For thousands of reasons to be disciple of Jesus in Japan is not-so-easy, indeed the 1999 Salesian Mission Day launched by Fr. Odorico was entitled: ‘The challenging Proclamation of Christ in Japan’. There is about one million of Catholics, with more than 50% of them being migrants from many different nations. Majority of the Catholic migrants are Brazilians with Japanese roots. The most recently arrived missionary confrere to Japan province, Fr Ambrosio da Silva Lucas arrived from Timor Leste just two weeks ago. He joins the multicultural parish community of Hamamatsu and is getting settled.

His rector Fr Angel is deeply impressed: ‘For the first time Ambrosio experienced snow and real winter. He entered our environment very easily. Already since last Monday he started to study Japanese language. You feel immediately that he has facility for languages. Is able already to celebrate the Eucharist in Japanese (in ‘romaji = Romanized Japanese script). There are 8 volunteers who helped him in the language studies. He looks at home. We have no difficulty in communications, since we speak in portugués-portuñol. Next Tuesday we will go to greet our bishop in Yokohama’.

Fr Ambrosio is also very keen to share his first days of missionary life. Although he was already a student in the Philippines for past four years, this is another special chapter of his life:

“It has been 10 days since I arrived here in the land of Samurai, the second homeland of Venerable Fr Vincent Cimatti. Everything is different and new especially as I was told many time before arrival, I’m encountering this new and cultural shock (the weather, the food, the language…). At the moment I’m struggling with the Japan winter weather now.

But I always thank God and Don Bosco for keeping us Salesians in ONE culture and ONE spirit. I can really feel in these days the culture of "Family" with the spirit of "Joy" that our father Don Bosco is cultivating in us. I was welcomed by the Japan Provincial, Fr Mario and the Provincial secretary Fr Sato and stayed in Tokyo Provincial house for three days.

Right now I am in Hamamatsu City with my rector, Fr Angel Yamanouchi and Fr Evaristo Higa and orienting myself into the beauty of this SDB community that is serving different migrant communities with their respective languages: Portuguese, Japanese, Spanish, English and Tagalog. Since last Monday I celebrate every night at 8 PM the Eucharist for the faithful in Japanese language. Of course the other confreres - Fr Angel or Fr Evaristo are always with me. It is not easy to advance in the Japanese language. However I firmly believe and trust in the power of the Holy Spirit and of Mother Mary Help of Christians. Indeed this is not my Mission or our mission but HIS Mission! I give thanks to God for this opportunity to be a missionary, Salesian missionary in Japan!’

I was deeply touched by the Good Night Talk of Mother Teresia Furuki of the Caritas Sisters of Jesus (AustraLasia news 3874, January 17). I want to say, that her experience is very true. Last Friday (my first day in Hamamatsu), Fr Higa called me to pray and bless a young man (22 years old) who committed a suicide.”

Arigato gozaimasu.