Mission 2030: [2020 Theme]
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July 2020 MISSION 2030: [2020 THEME] overburdened. It was suggested that all activities be halted and put under review for one year. However, no agreement could be reached about this proposal and it never materialized. Because of this experience, I became acutely aware of the urgent need for a review of our parish activities. This Fr. Hanafusa, SJ opportunity came when we started a we must now apply them afresh Church Activities Review Workshop, precisely in our present situation. A New Collaborative Effort which eventually became the “Mission Deepening Prayer: In a church where This abridged article was first published in the 2030 Plan of Action.” At the beginning, everyone cannot freely participate in June issue of MAGIS, the monthly Japanese Mission 2030 was actually a plan for a the Mass, each one of us must deepen magazine of St. Ignatius Church. With the one-year activity hiatus. This year, that our prayer life. Can we figure out how to “first step of the reopening of Churches” in plan for a one-year hiatus seems live, have faith, and pray in a church the Archdiocese of Tokyo, the article of our miraculously to be coming to the without Masses? Pastor may well be a catalyst for the creation foreground. I feel that this is a Spreading the Gospel: When it comes of a new way of “being Church” in these mysterious judgement from Our Lord. to spreading the Gospel, we often think pandemic times and beyond. Based on the church's Mission 2030 of introductory classes, but we cannot Due to the new coronavirus, all church Plan of Action, let’s use this time as an hold such classes now. However, in this activities have been halted for nearly three opportunity to review our parish situation, we all still have our individual months. As this abnormal situation activities and events. The theme for this mission to spread the Gospel. How continues, we are not able to offer Mass year is “A New Collaborative Effort.” might we spread the Gospel in a along with the laity. Even after the State of From April until now, explanatory situation where our chances to be near Emergency was lifted, we have only been articles have been written. Within those others directly are severely limited? And able to restart a very limited number of articles are some concrete events which as a first premise we must consider how, activities. In this situation, something came we will not be able to implement, but I in this limited situation, we might be to mind. After my appointment here, there think it is possible to deepen the spirit able to live out the Gospel. Our living was a meeting of religious clergy. Someone behind them. Let’s look again, with new out of the Gospel always takes place proposed that the parish was too busy with awareness, at how we can work where we are at present. In our present too many activities and wondered if together. context, with what sort of attention and something might be done about it. Actually, First, please look back over all the practice can we achieve? there really were too many activities each various themes up until now. We have Living Community: The largest day, and the council members were truly deepened our awareness of these, but challenge resides in how we are to live St. Ignatius Catholic Church Address: 6-5-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0083 www.stignatius.jp/en/ Tel No. 03-3263-4584 / 03-3263-4576 Fax No. 03-3263-4585 Monthly English Bulletin JULY 2020 as a community. While we can’t be near our are large hurdles, but our present gather wisdom from all of you as well. I parish friends now, how can we retain the difficult situation challenges us all to am welcoming any interesting ideas or bonds of community? work harder to figure things out. With practices. Please e-mail or mail a letter to If we can newly recapture these three faith as our foundation, we can look at the church directly. I will continue to themes (Prayer, Gospel, Community), we may the present situation positively and new update you all with ideas via the MAGIS be able to see how best to collaborate with a roads may be found. For my part, I will magazine. new awareness. As with any theme, there continue to seek answers. But I wish to Translated by Ryan Hicks IMPORTANT NOTICES FOR JULY As part of the “first step of reopening of churches” in the Archdiocese of Tokyo, St. Ignatius Church has resumed, on an experimental basis, the following: WHAT WHEN TIME WHERE EXPOSITION OF BLESSED Weekdays 7:00 a.m. Main Church SACRAMENT * Weekdays 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Inside the vestibule of the CONFESSIONS * main church near Our Sundays During Mass Hours Lady’s statue in the garden Weekdays (Japanese) 12:00 p.m. 6.00 p.m. MASSES ** Sundays (Japanese) 10:00 a.m. Main Church Sundays (English) 12:00 p.m. Sundays (Spanish) 1:30 p.m. Sundays (Vietnamese) 3:00 p.m. * Free participation. ** Pre-registration Required. *** For other sacraments inquire at the Parish Office or English Center. Sunday masses are also livestreamed. Please go to www.stignatius.jp/en/ for instructions on how to access. The monthly English Bulletin can now be accessed on-line in the above website, under the Publication section. Mass Celebrants of the month: o Fr. Doyle, SJ (July 5), Fr. Bony, SJ (July 12), Fr. Cusumano, SJ (July 19), Fr. Veliath (July 2) DID YOU KNOW ? St. Ignatius of Loyola is best known as the person who founded the Jesuits and whose spiritual insights gave birth to Ignatian spirituality and the Spiritual Exercises. A lesser-known fact is that it was the cannonball wound he received in battle that actually led to his conversion experience. Without this conversion, there would be no Jesuits, no Ignatian spirituality. Listed below are three fun facts about the 16th-century saint, St. Ignatius of Loyola: He once allowed the donkey on which he was riding to determine whether he should follow and murder someone he thought had insulted the Blessed Virgin Mary. Fortunately, the donkey chose the path that led away from the insulter. He thought that his leg had been set poorly after the cannonball incident and that, as a result, he wouldn’t look good in his courtier’s tights. So he had a doctor rebreak his leg and start over! He may be the only canonized saint to have a notarized police record—for nighttime brawling with intent to inflict serious harm. 2 Page St. Ignatius Catholic Church Address: 6-5-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0083 www.stignatius.jp/en/ Tel No. 03-3263-4584 / 03-3263-4576 Fax No. 03-3263-4585 Monthly English Bulletin JULY 2020 The Catholic Faith Glimpses of Faith 3 Page St. Ignatius Catholic Church Address: 6-5-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 102-0083 www.stignatius.jp/en/ Tel No. 03-3263-4584 / 03-3263-4576 Fax No. 03-3263-4585 Monthly English Bulletin JULY 2020 St. Ignatius Church News and Events OUR NEW NEIGHBOR and support. Please share in my the Congregation of the Daughters of, Are you aware that the John de Britto ministries, especially through your Jesus (FI), and Maria Paula Reis Gomes Center has a new “neighbor”? Right prayers. a consecrated missionary of the beside our door, there is a name plate Servants of the Gospel of God's Mercy. with a foreign name. The Bulletin PENTECOST AND THE BEGINNING OF For us youth, the lives of these OUR MISSION missionaries are a source of hope and requested him for some information Amidst the challenges and difficulties inspiration. During this time of social about himself and this new office. The of the current pandemic, one of the distancing when we experience inner international community WELCOMES most disheartening situations for us struggles due to loneliness and the him, as from now on, together, we serve Catholic youth in Tokyo is not being feeling of being away from Christ, the St. Ignatius Church. able to attend regular Mass and parish stories of our missionaries reminded activities on Sundays. For most of us, us that the journey of faith truly the parish is not only our spiritual involves difficulties as well as sanctuary, but also our source of loneliness, given that our mission may emotional support, a venue to involve being separated from our cultivate relational bonds with our beloved families and native countries. fellow Catholic youth. These are the Yet, we are never alone, as God reasons why even though we are accompanies us always in our journey. confined to our individual homes, we Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Fr. Nhã strive to keep up our Sunday we can overcome challenges and can Hello everyone! Greetings from our new observances - attending the English continue spreading the Good News. Office! I am Joseph Nguyễn Thanh Nhã, a Mass together through live streaming Social media and online platforms at Vietnamese Jesuit priest sent to Japan in and afterwards conducting our youth this time are great means for his 2009. My name is a bit long and difficult for activities through an online meeting message to travel across the world. the Japanese to say. That is why my friends platform called “Zoom.” We express our deepest gratitude call me “Cat” or “Nha Chan” because to missionaries here in Japan as we, Japanese cats make a sound similar to my the international youth, have name.