Interview with EAO Youth Ministry delegate - Japan

By Our Own Correspondent

Tokyo, Japan, 25 October 2018 -- The following is the fourth in our series of interviews with YM Delegates in the Region, in preparation for the upcoming Delegates' Regional meeting:

How long have you been appointed as YM delegate? How many members has your team?

To tell the truth, I’m currently not the YM delegate. I’ve just finished 6 years’ as delegate (so I’m not worthy for this interview…!?). But the new YM delegate, Fr Hamaguchi, suddenly became our provincial, and Fr Michael Lap became the 'new' new delegate just last month. So I would like to help them as necessary. The YM team in our province has 5 sections: Vocation promotion, Schools, Parishes, DBVG (youth volunteers) and SYM, and one or two SDBs in charge of each section. In addition, the Project Team (PT) for reshaping of our province has been working since 2016. I think this PT works well also for the YM in our province.

How is the translation and overall study of the Youth Ministry Framework going?

Translation of the “YM Frame of Reference”(FoR) is still proceeding (slowly…), but we have already caught “ideas” from FoR and have been making good use of it for animation of the province and our planning mentality. We are working to create a good and effective SEPP at each level (province, communities and works).

How do you foster more effective formation of the SDB and lay mission partners for Youth Ministry?

Yes, both formation of SDB and formation of lay mission partners are very important. As we Salesians are decreasing in number and increasing in average age, each one of us must be a “real” pastor for youth and study how to work together and share responsibility with our lay mission partners. Regarding the formation of lay (not always Christians…but always good!) mission partners, firstly it is an urgent task to prepare individuals who can share our mission and take responsibility for our works. Secondly we focus on the formation of younger collaborators as mission partners. Seminars and sharing our Salesian spirit with younger collaborators are going on with the support of the Project Team, some SDBs and also a few of our mission partners.

What kind of processes do you accompany in your province as Youth Ministry delegate?

As Youth Ministry delegate, I have focused on two main tasks. First is to animate Youth Ministry events at provincial level (Bible Camp - vocations, DBVG - volunteer exposure in Solomon Islands, Youth gathering - SYM and so on). These events are a good tradition of our province which have provided many vocations for the SDBs and collaborators, and through this process SYM was born in 2015. Second is to visit our works, especially school, every year and have annual meetings with mission partners. Listening to their experience and zeal for education of their students was a very good experience for me. This mission is now continued by the Project Team. In Japan the YM delegate is also a member of the Project Team for reshaping our presences.

The 2018 Synod is about young people. How do you maximize this opportunity in your province?

The theme of the Synod and this year’s strenna of the Rector Major are closely related. It is very important to accompany and listen to young people not only in the Salesian world but through the whole Catholic church. We would like to walk together with dioceses in Japan and contribute especially to poor young people, students and migrant workers from other countries, who are increasing in number today. Salesian Bishop Mario Yamanouchi, the newly ordained bishop of the Saitama diocese where many foreign Christians live, will become a good example of the fruit of the Synod.

What would you like to learn from the sharing among different EAO provinces in the annual meeting?

The EAO YM delegates annual meeting is always a good chance for sharing. Despite our different situations locally, listening to each other helps and inspires us. We would like to go forward always encouraging each other.

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