Closing celebration of Don Bosco’s Bicentenary of the Japanese Province

at St. Mary Immaculate Church, the Cathedral of Tokyo.

By Fr. Yoshiki Sekiya, SDB

Tokyo, Japan, 23 November, 2015 - In spite of the cold and occasional sprinkle of rain, at St. Mary Immaculate Church, the Cathedral of Tokyo more than 1,500 people, young and old, gathered for the occasion which was organized in collaboration of all the groups of the Salesian Family in Japan: SDB, FMA, Caritas of Jesus Sisters, Salesian Cooperators, ADMA, VDB, Past Pupils of Don Bosco and Unione (Past Pupils of FMA schools). Other groups from Salesian works or affiliated to the Salesian Family also worked together to celebrate Don Bosco’s charism in Japan (Don Bosco Publisher, VIDES, Don Bosco Volunteer Group, Friends of Caritas of Jesus, Spirituality Center for Youth “Bo-yo-An”, Salesian parishes). All through the day, young people, who are the object of the Salesian mission, were active in various events, including students of SDB and FMA schools, from elementary to college level, who gave various artistic performances. It was a day of joy and thanksgiving for the whole Salesian Family and friends of Don Bosco in Japan.

The day started at 11 o’clock with the first joint gathering of Past Pupils of Don Bosco and Unione. Food booths by the different groups of the Salesian Family (Salesian parishes, Cooperators, VIDES) were also ready to satisfy the hunger of participants with home-made cooking. Different performances in-doors and out-doors warmed up the festive atmosphere: musical performance by Meguro Seibi Gakuen Highschool Orchestra (FMA), drama from Don Bosco’s life by VIDES youth, magic show by Fr. Mickey Muramatsu, picture-story show by Seibi Gakuen College (FMA) students. The children also had a great time with mass games and picture coloring, a “playground” organized by former youth leaders of Salesian parishes.

In the afternoon, from 1 o’clock, the symposium “SYM: Voice of the Youth!” was held. It attracted more than 500 people, lay, religious, and youth, overflowing from the parish hall, who were interested to hear what the youth had to say through their experience of the Bicentenary. In the first part, the youth who had participated in the SYM pilgrimage to Italy in August shared their experiences of visiting the places of Don Bosco and attending the great gathering with the SYM youths from all over the world. At the end of this sharing, the start of SYM JAPAN was officially proclaimed.

In the second part, 6 youths, representing different groups (Salesian parishes, DBVG, VIDES, Bo-yo-An), came on stage as panelists. By way of answering questions posed by the facilitator, Mr. Okawa Chihiro (past pupil), they shared on how they have experienced the Salesian spirit in their different situations and activities. They were able to confirm some common aspects, such as accompaniment (assistenza), warmth, closeness to each person, energetic youthfulness; they also shared about their dreams and mission for the future.

The day concluded with solemn mass, closing the celebrations of the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco.

Some moments before the mass with dance performance by the girls of Akabane Seibi Gakuen High-school (to the song “See you again” :“It’s been a long day without you, my friend and I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again…”, remembering Don Bosco’s youthful friendship with Comollo.) and hand-bell musical performance of “Ave Verum Corpus” by the boys of Salesio Junior High-school introduced us into a time of intense celebration of communion and thanksgiving, in a special way, thanksgiving for the life of Don Bosco.

The celebrant was Archbishop Peter Okada Takeo of Tokyo, joined by the Nuncio, Archbishop Joseph Chennoth, Fr. Vaclav Klement, Regional Councilor for EAO, and by Fr. Provincial Mario Yamanouchi, and more than 40 Salesian priests of the Province and a visiting Salesian priest from Myanmar, Fr. Peter Myo Khin. Fr. Mario in his homily reflected on how the preparation for DB200 started with the pilgrimage of Don Bosco’s relic to Japan (February 2011) just before the devastating earthquake and tsunami shook the nation. The Provincial emphasized that the encounter with God and becoming witness of God, the merciful Father, was what lay as the source in Don Bosco’s soul, to motivate him to give his life for the poor youth. Fr. Mario invited everyone to listen to the youth, respond to their needs, and renew our resolution to accompany them on their journey.

The brass-band music by Akabane Seibi Gakuen High-school students, hand-bells by Salesio Junior High-school youths (Panis Angelicus after communion), the Caritas of Jesus sisters’ choir and the choirs of Akabane and Meguro Seibi Gakuen High-schools contributed to enliven the mass.

At the end of the mass, Mons. Joseph Chennoth, in his congratulatory address to the assembly, encouraged the Salesian Family to continue Don Bosco’s charism expressed in his motto “Da mihi animas, cetera tolle”. Fr. Vaclav Klement also gave his complementary address saying he could see the dream of Don Bosco, in which Don Bosco saw the sheep turning into shepherds, becoming a reality in Japan with many young people willing to serve others, and also emphasized that the poor youth will save the Salesians. Fr. Mario expressed his thanks to all who participated and contributed to this thanksgiving at the end of the Bicentenary year. Mons. Peter Okada gave solemn blessings on all who gathered, and the mass concluded with the singing of the DB200 official theme song, the lively “Michi-shirube (the Guiding Sign)”

We give thanks to God and to all of you who have contributed in prayers and by lending your hands to realize this celebration.

DB200 has come to a conclusion, but we will start on our new challenge. Don Bosco’s dream continues... with the young, for the young.

Mary Help of Christians, St. John Bosco, pray for us!

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