Saitama Catholic Diocese principles and priorities

Sr. Eva, our Salesian Sister from Cebu, shared with the participants of the Mini-Congress held last Sunday, November 25th held at the Joso Catholic Church, that there are about 509,000 Catholics in Japan compared to about 80 million plus Catholics in the Philippines.

Migrants, especially from the Philippines and Brazil, are major churchgoers in Japan. A significant number of the migrants are part of the Saitama Diocese which is composed of the various parishes in the prefectures of Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki and Saitama.

In 1994, Urawa Diocese Bishop Takeo Okada established the Open House, with Ms. Neddie Codog from the Philippines, to assist migrants. Bishop Marcelino Tani Daiji took over from Bishop Okada from 2000 and since then, Open House has continued to bring God to the migrants in need with Fr. Jack Serate joining Neddie, Sr. Eva, Sr. Flor and Sr. Rose, and other volunteers from various nationalities.

While proceeding to meet the secular and spiritual needs of the migrants, Open House, together with their other partners, decided to launch their campaign for pastoral evangelization for 2011-2020 with the mission statement: “ While deepening our own faith, let us live and proclaim the gospel, with all people, especially the marginalized. Let us become one in Christ.”

With about 50 or more participants last Sunday, and with several parish priests in attendance (Fr. Peter and Fr. Ross of the Tsukuba Catholic Church, Fr. Donnegan of Mito Church, and Fr. Michael Coleman of Tsuchiura Church), Fr. Jack explained the three basic principles for the pastoral evangelization and know your diocese campaign as follows: “1) we aim to have a community that, while encountering Christ in the midst of our contemporary world, also learns the teachings of Christ together in community: praying together, living the Gospel with many other people, and having enough vitality to share the Gospel with others; 2) we aim to have the laity and pastoral ministers gather around the same table, so that after discussing and sharing the graces of the Lord with one another, they may grow even more as brothers and sisters by collaborating together to do team ministry; and 3) we aim for a community that prays together and is in solidarity with one another- a community that acts together to ensure that every person is able to live a dignified human life.”

To pursue the above principles, Fr. Jack presented eight priority issues of the Diocese and asked each parish represented during the Sunday Congress to choose three that will be the main focus of activities for their respective parishes. These eight priority issues included: “1) learn, live, and spread the word of God, 2) deepen and widen interaction among cultures in our church, 3) live together with those who have been marginalized, 4) activate “Team Ministry for Pastoral Evangelization,” 5) live a simple life, 6) seek and pray for peace, 7) strengthen the bonds of solidarity with people throughout the world, especially with the people of Asia and Latin America, and, 8) work for reconstruction from the Great East Japan Earthquake.”

Migrants are now encouraged, through this campaign, to focus on their spiritual needs and development just as they are focused on their secular needs and life. Migrants are also reminded about their role to spread the word of God wherever they are, in their words, acts, and deeds, individually, as teams, as parishes.

This is a welcome development in the ministry of the Catholic Church in Japan which includes the bishops, priests, religious and the laity who share the responsibility and mission of spreading God’s love to all. It also adds to migration the higher spiritual goal of prioritizing the welfare and care of God’s family wherever the migrants are.

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