ASIA/JAPAN - Saitama diocese holds 3rd ‘Latino to Obispo’ Meeting

Saitama (Fides Service) - Recently Saitama diocese held its third Latino to Obispo diocesan cultural exchange meeting between the bishop and the people of Latin American origin at the Sano church in Tochi prefecture. About 50 Latino Catholics assembled for Mass with Bishop Tani Daiji and priests who usually celebrate Masses in Spanish with them. After the Mass those who attended had lunch and participants reported to the bishop of activities in various parishes, especially activities related to cooperation with Japanese Catholics.
There are an estimated 20,000 Latinos in the four prefectures that constitute the Saitama diocese but only about 2,000 regularly attend Spanish-language Masses. Bishop Tani inquired if that was the same rate of participation in Peru. According to the participants the attendance rate in Peru is approximately 80 percent.
“In Japan our people are busy working, churches are far away, we don’t know where they are and there’s the language problem. However, when we’re worn out in body and soul by overwork, if we are able to come to church to talk and eat together that would be restful,” said on participant.
There was also a call for communities to take the lead in passing the faith on to their children and to be “lead players” in evangelisation.
Aide Calle and Luis Rojas, who came from the Koyama church to take part in the gathering are members of their parish council along with Japanese, Filipinos and Brazilians. They said they are busy preparing for the parish’s 50th anniversary.
Calle said that parishes in Japan could learn something from Peru.
“Wouldn’t it be good if we had ‘salons’ at the churches for children as in Peru where they can read comics or watch videos? Without them, the children get bored and lose interest in coming to church. Their mothers also end up not coming.”
A couple from the Sano church, Alberto Diaz and Monica Uena, came to Japan three years ago. They said they are doing well at work.
“There are few churches in Japan and people don’t know about Jesus” said Diaz. “I still can’t speak Japanese well, but I want to show Him to people through the way I live.” PS Fides Service 14/2/2005 lines 30 words 366)