austraLasia #2767 Yokohama Salesian School celebrates 50 years
YOKOHAMA: 12 December 2010 -- This year has
seen the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of the
Salesian school at Yokohama. The commemoration took place on
two occasions, one the official date of 4 December for past
pupils and other guests, and the other on 8 December, for
today's pupils, currently numbering in excess of a thousand.
Opened in 1960 in Meguro, Tokyo, the
school was then transferred to its present site at Kawasaki,
surmounting difficulties to develop and become renowned
throughout the region. In 1968 the infant school was built
and now has 220 children in it. At the beginning of the 70s
the Saginuma church was built, and soon became a parish. The
church has been extended twice and the parish now has 2200
Catholics. An SDB and an FMA residence were built. In 1974
the hostel became an aspirantate with a festive oratory
attached. In 1995 the work was then rebuilt five kilometres
from Yokohama in the new suburb of Tsuzuki with the parish
and infant school remaining at Saginuma.
At the beginning of the commemoration ceremony on 4 December
the Prefect of Kanagawa Province, Mr Shigefumi Matsuzawa,
congratulated the Salesians and their lay staff for the
competence and professionalism of their educational work.
Bishop Raphael Umemura Masahiro was the chief celebrant at
the Mass, and expressed satisfaction, during the homily, for
the fact that he had a Salesian school in his diocese.
After mass and prior to a sumptuous lunch
the Nuncio, Archbishop Alberto Bottari De Castello,
conferred the Knights Cross of St Gregory on Mr Thomas
Norihisa Maeda who has spent the last 40 years beside the
Salesians, especially the aspirantate, generously and kindly
offering help.
The Yokohama school is outstanding for
the its religious education and for its academic results.
Many of its students have gained entry to Japan's most
prestigious universities. _________________
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