Model for Yokohama diocese multicultural communities – Hamamatsu

By Fr. Angel Yamanouchi, SDB

Yokohama, Japan, 21 September 2016 -- The Year of Mercy in Yokohama diocese is marked visibly by two Holy Doors – one in the Cathedral of Yokohama and another in the Hamamatsu City (800.000) with larger Brazilian migrant workers population of 15.000. Since last December more than 3000 Mercy Jubilee Year pilgrims passed through the Holy Door in Hamamatsu Parish of St Francis of Assisi entrusted to the Salesians.

Last May 2016 Raphael Masahiro Umemura, Bishop of Yokohama (55.000 Japanese and about 90.000-100.000 foreign migrant Catholics) convoked the regular priest meeting to Hamamatsu, in order to share with all his clergy the inspiring model of our parish. Indeed the parish of St Francis of Assisi makes difference thanks to the dynamic and vibrant inter-cultural community. Every Sunday there are 600 coming together Catholics of main 4 language communities: 200 Japanese, 180 Brazilians, 100 Filipinas and 80 Latinos (Spanish speaking). It’s amazing to observe the harmonious blending of languages and cultures!

There are some key words that explain this successful model: (1) Communion of (language) communities; (2) International and intercultural Salesian community (4 SDB from Brazil, Argentina, Vietnam and Timor Leste) and (3) Patient empowerment and formation of lay people.

Each of the four communities has 4 representatives in the parish council. Each community has own animators, catechists and ministers in the fields of (1) liturgy – prayers; (2) faith – evangelization, catechesis, formation, recollections, encounters; (3) witnessing – services, volunteers, social services). Formation of lay mission partners is realized through meeting, recollections and evaluation. Thanks to this patient long term strategy there is high degree of autonomy in serving the Catholic community – catechesis, guiding of liturgy and recollections – all done by lay people. Also the wide known Saturday night homeless outreach Grupo Esperança started by Fr. Higa in 1993, brings together 30-40 volunteers from all language groups.

Thanks to this wonderful communion and witnessing model, Hamamatsu parish is inspiring and attracting many people to ‘come and see’ – including our Aspirants, Salesian Youth Movement, national gathering of Migrant ministry and during this year also many Mercy Jubilee pilgrims.

We give thanks to all Catholic faithful of our parish and we pray that more Salesians of our EAO region may answer to the call of migrant ministry but also for Hamamatsu community!

---

---