Salesian Cooperators of Japan getting closer to the young
By Mrs. Kazumi Maruyama, ASC
GIA Province Coordinator
Tokyo, Japan, 30 April 2017 -- Heartfelt greetings from Japan, just one week before many of you will come to Tokyo for the 9th EAO Regional Congress of the Salesian Cooperators. Welcome to Japan!
Our ASC Province of Japan has a good family spirit. We are all 11 Local Centers (Tokyo - Akabane, Meguro, Chofu Salesio - SDB, Chofu - Jindaiji - FMA; Shizuoka, Yokkaichi, Osaka, Kita-Kyushu, Miyazaki, Beppu and Nagasaki) - 3 centers in the metropolitan area of Tokyo, 3 centers in Central Japan and 4 centers in Southern island of Kyushu.
There are also 2 'branches' in Nagoya (Central) and Hita (South). Total number of the Salesian Cooperators with the promise is 131 members and 13 Aspirants. In the past 3 years we have two new members who made their promise: one in Osaka and one in Nagasaki.
Formation meetings are held directly by SDB/FMA Delegate and Coordinator of each center under the guidance of a Councilor in charge of Provincial Formation.
Although at present there is no province level apostolic project, the Salesian Cooperators are involved in a variety of apostolate in their own parishes, place of work and local society. Good number of our members is directly involved in some Salesian Family projects, like Shizuoka Center in the FMA High school, Tokyo members are actively supporting from the beginning the Don Bosco Volunteer Group (DBVG, 1991) with annual exposure activity in Solomon Islands, many of us are teachers in SDB of FMA school meeting daily hundreds of children and youth with the heart of Don Bosco.
The collaboration among the varioius Salesian Family group is very good, we are also contributing from the beginning to the new edition of the Salesian Bulletin (Don Bosco no Kaze).
Major sources of income for the province are members fee and individual donations, mainly spent of the formation of our members.
The movement of DB200 celebrations with the symbol of sunflower spread all over Japan, and made all Salesian Family more united. During the DB200 Closing ceremony (Nov 23, 2015) at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Tokyo we had a mass presided by Archbishop Okada. It was real feast, and a 2000 youth and Salesian Family member from all over Japan got together to share own experience how they celebrated DB200. Salesian Cooperators served and offered meals for all the participants. Many of us got up very early in the morning to prepare food.
That experience taught us once young people got place, they voluntary began to pray, sing, and talk. Based on that DB200 experience we are preparing for ASC Regional Congress in Tokyo to welcome also many young people from various East Asia and Oceania countries.
Though the publication of new PAL (Project of Apostolic Life) in Japanese was delayed, finally we got it. This time, we tried to make the one easy to understand. By reading and studying the new PAL, we want to expand the means of formation, and hopefully, not only for our SDB and FMA Delegates but also for the Coordinators of each center so they can take the role of formation in the future in their hands.
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