Yokohama Diocese assigns priest
to serve and learn in Japan
JAPAN Yokohama Diocese Assigns Priest To Serve And Learn In Brazil
The assignment of Father Ishikawa Hiroyuki, 46, is intended to advance
the diocesan aim to become "a Church that transcends nationality,"
according to the bishop. Some priests of Yokohama already are assigned
to Canada, Italy and Uganda for research, studies or evangelization
work.
Father Ishikawa points out that "foreign residents are real members
of the diocese, even though there are some Japanese Catholics who think
there are too many of them." He was ordained a priest in 1994.
"In order to change the consciousness of people in the diocese, we
have to make the diocesan commitment to be a 'community of communities'
more concrete. That means making an effort to take up the pastoral care
of foreigners," he said.
At present, there are approximately 100,000 Catholics in Yokohama diocese
who are not Japanese, twice the number of local Japanese Catholics.
Yokohama is a port city about 20 kilometers south of Tokyo. The majority
of the foreign Catholics are Brazilians. Priests from Brazil have been
sent to Japan, but there are not enough of them to meet the need.
Father Ishikawa is scheduled to leave Aug. 11 for Brazil. After one or
two years of language training, he is to assist a diocese there for
three or more years. During that time, he will continue to study Brazilian
culture and lifestyle, along with present conditions and environmental
problems in the country, before returning to Japan to work with Brazilians
here.
"If everything were as it should be, we would have Japanese priests
who could serve all foreigners in their own language," the priest
said.
While he was a student at Tokyo University of Agriculture studying ranch
management, Father Ishikawa spent half a year in Brazil as an intern.
After graduation, he went to the Philippines for about three years as a
member of the Japan Lay Mission Movement. He was there in February 1986,
when peaceful mass demonstrations deposed the dictatorial Ferdinand
Marcos. Seeing the leadership role of the Church and the display of
faith by the people during this difficult period, he says, he decided
to become a priest.
During his time as a seminarian, Father Ishikawa studied in India, where
a breakfast-table comment by a fellow seminarian had a big impact on
him. He recalls: "I had a single fried egg, and when I said, 'That
was good,' the other seminarian said, 'At home, we were so poor that
nine of us would have divided that one egg, but back then, I felt closer
to God.' It was a real eye-opener for me."
Commenting on his impending move to Brazil and his future work back in
Japan, he said involvement "with one another" is important.
"The mixing of cultures and nationalities helps us learn from one
another and broaden our perspective."
JA8635.1350 July 22, 2005