'austraLasia' #48

PERSONAL PARISH FIRST FOR JAPAN

Julian Fox

KYUSHU: 11th February -- Filipino Salesian Fr. Dave Buenaventura

exercises a role that is a first for Japan - that of personal parish

priest (based on Canon 518) for Filipinos working and living in Japan in

the Diocese of Oita, Kyushu. Filipinos are scattered throughout the two

prefectures covered by the diocese. Some are residents married or

divorced to Japanese nationals, some are entertainers working in clubs

as singers or dancers. Yet a third group are skilled workers who

despite their skills are employed as 'cheap' labour. And, of course,

there are the students studying in Japanese universities. In this

diaspora, Fr. Dave says, "because of distance, I'm able to visit a

community only once a month. For those who are really far away, I stay

with them for two to three days". Fr. Dave's work is rarely easy; he

finds the usual run of personal and human problems arising out of

conflict of beliefs and values.