St. John’s 

26th October Vow Taking
Ceremony

22th-31th August 2024
Annual Retreat

　From August 22 to 31, I participated in the yearly meditation at Maria Pavilion in the lushly green Mission Congregation of the Servants of Holy Spirit, Japan. In the cicada chirring forest, yellow-green leaves glistened in the summer sunlight and swayed in the wind.

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29th December 2023  

Sister Sabina
Anne Marie Southam Passed away
“ Jesus, I trust in You.”

　In her work as a hospice chaplain, Sr. Sabina always said, “My job is to help patients complete their journey through life and pass through the door to eternal life to be with God.” Whether it was early in the morning or in the middle of the night, as soon as she received a call from the hospice, she immediately went to the patients and helped them in love and prayer. We are sure that each patient who was taken by Sr. Sabina's hand was placed into the hands of God in heaven.

Sr. Sabina also excelled in computer skills and set up and maintained this website. We hope that we have been able to convey to the readers the spirit of the Society of John - service to the sick, the afflicted, and the vulnerable - which we seek to witness through our prayers and work.

As a hobby, Sister made botanical art. “I want to paint the plants God created as accurately as possible,” she said. She held a paintbrush as if her hand was being moved by God. Her completed works are now being made into bookmarks, cards, and stationery at the convent to be available for special occasions.

As we inform you of her passing, we remember Sr. Sabina’s kind smile, beautifully spoken Japanese and courteous behavior.

10th August 2023 　
The History of Fuji St. John's School
PART 4

2nd July 2023 　
The History of Fuji St. John's School
PART 3

17th June 2023 　
The History of Fuji St. John's School
PART 2

11th December 2022 　
Fuchu Church Youth Meditation
Tama City Headquarters

29th November 
The History of Fuji St. John's School
PART 1

7th November 
Christmas Sale at the
Catholic Fuchu Church

30th October
Konoharagakuin 1955~1975 Part 4

1st October Vow Taking Ceremony

30th September Vow Renewal Ceremony

18th September 

11th-18th September 2022 Annual Retreat

This year's retreat was held from September 11th to 18th at the Holy Spirit Maria convent here in Koganei City.
It was a 7-day retreat filled with blessings thanks to Fr. Abe Nakamaro of the Salesian Society.

He told us that silent contemplation is like tuning our hearts to make sure that the sound of the piano or guitar is not out of tune or in dissonance, and that we should check once a year to see if our thoughts are in tune with the thoughts of Christ and ourselves.

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17th September 

Sister Uchina Fumiko Masuda
Funeral Mass and Farewell Ceremony

　Sr. Masuda was baptized at the age of 23 and joined the congregation at 34. As a young Sister, she took care of physically challenged people and enjoyed painting.
She was in and out of the hospital repeatedly with broken bones and other injuries, but she overcame them with her stout heart.
She was a frank and humane person, just as those she tended.
She was about to turn 100 years old in two months.

16th August Konoharagakuin 1955~1975 Part 3

The staff and sisters took care of the children with all their heart and souls, and were supported and, in turn, learnt much from the children's innocence. They were often comforted by the children's gradual progress. The staff took turns praying before and after meals, but one day, a child who was eating before the others because he had to go out did not start eating even though the staff often encouraged him to do so.

8th July Konoharagakuin 1955~1975 Part 2

　After the death of Father Totsuka Bunkei, the founder of Sakuramachi Hospital, his collaborator, Okamura Fuku, founded the Missionary Order of St. John the Evangelist in 1944, under the order of the then Bishop Doi to manage the hospital. When she was looking for a quiet place to build a training institute for the growing number of sisters, the head clerk of Sakuramachi Hospital came to her with a proposition.

8th July Konoharagakuin 1955~1975

　After the death of Father Totsuka Bunkei, the founder of Sakuramachi Hospital, his collaborator, Okamura Fuku, founded the Missionary Order of St. John the Evangelist in 1944, under the order of the then Bishop Doi to manage the hospital. When she was looking for a quiet place to build a training institute for the growing number of sisters, the head clerk of Sakuramachi Hospital came to her with a proposition.

11th July 2022 Fuji St. John's School Visit

Mid-June, 2022

In mid-June, we visited Fuji St. John's School. We were given a tour of the school by Mr. Endo, the director. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the residents were spending their time according to their own schedules, some relaxing in the lush green nature, and others working in their rooms.

7th June 2022 

 Founders' Day  - Eucharistic Adoration

Our association was born in the midst of World War II. It was born at a time when many lives were lost, the number of poor and weak people was increasing, many people were sick, and there was no hope in sight. In the midst of nothing, the foundress’ heart was filled with absolute trust in God and a passionate love for people.

3rd June 2022 

The Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist - Mother Okamura Part 4

Without God's help, how could the newly established congregation and hospital survive? The sisters also united their hearts to work for the congregation and the hospital, saying that it was God's grace, that they were able to do all they could to serve God and their neighbors and to do missionary work without losing their trust in God. In those days, when the small and poor congregations could not even buy sandals, Mother asserted that one person's suffering was everyone's suffering and one person's joy was everyone's joy. This is a great question for those of us who live in an age where there is an abundance of things.

28th April 2022 

Sister Odelia
Naomi Uranuma Passed away

1935/7/27 Born 

1964/5/31 Professed her first vows

1969/5/31 Professed her perpetual vows

2022/4/28 Passed away

　Sister Odelia Naomi Uranuma was involved in the care of children at the Tokuyama Seibo Nursery School in Shizuoka Prefecture. She was often involved with children at the church school in Koganei Church. As a cook, she also worked devotedly in the food service departments of Fuji St. John's School and Sakuramachi St. John's Home, where the residents greatly appreciated her.

At the convent, Sr. Odelia worked most enthusiastically when cooking in the kitchen. In her later years, despite her various illnesses, she did the best she could and devoted her days to prayer. She will be sorely missed.

1st May 2022 

The Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist - Mother Okamura Part 3

Fuku Okamura worked day and night to serve those who were poor and suffering from lack of access to medical care. Sometimes people came to her covered in dirt, and she gave them a bath, cleaned them up, and served them a meal. There were many tragic occasions when we were called in the middle of the night and when we went there, the patient was a mother, cold with her baby crying. While helping Father Totsuka, she became a neighbor and mother to the person in front of her.

17th April 2022 

Easter Sunday

Christ the Lord is truly risen!

15th April 2022 

Good Friday

15th April 2022 

Cherry Blossom Viewing from St. John's Congregation

14th April 2022 

Maundy Thursday

10th April 2022 

The Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist - Mother Okamura Part 2

As a student at the Sacred Heart, she woke up early in the morning to help out at home, as she had promised her parents she would, and then she went to school. At Sacred Heart, she was greatly influenced by the mothers. When she saw them working for God's triumph in a foreign country that they had never known, she wondered why. And that changed her. Of course, there was the foundation of her faith that she already had. When she was a little girl, she saw Jesus on the cross at Nicolai Hall and made a vow even when she was still very little.

25th March 2022 

Dedication Ceremony

　On March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, we held a ceremony for Fumiko Kato's entry into her aspirant period, with Father Kato, the senior priest of Koganei Church, as the officiant. On the previous day, Sister Kawakubo, who was 100 years old and had devoted much of her time to the Lord and to our congregation, passed away. The day after that, although it was a joyous day when Sister Kawakubo passed away, our hearts were filled with loneliness. It was a day like a light shining in our hearts and a joyous ceremony. During the ceremony, Father Kato talked about the flower and fruit of the grape, not about making the flower bloom, but about making the fruit bear fruit day by day. We are to consecrate ourselves to bear fruit day after day. I believe that Ms. Kato will walk prayerfully through many hard and happy times, failures and successes, in the days ahead. He expressed his determination in a tangible way during the ceremony. Like Sister Kawakubo, who passed away the day before, and like many of the senior sisters, I believe that they will walk hand in hand with God. The path may not be a flower garden, but as Father Kato said, it will be a fruitful path. Since God is our guide, we can walk the narrow path, the bumpy road, and the big road without getting lost. During the ceremony, it was a day when we prayed for her to be able to walk the road ahead with God and our sisters, bearing fruit as she goes.

24th March 2022

Death of Sister Johanna Rinko Kawakubo

Sr. Kawakubo was involved in establishing the facility for children with intellectual disabilities (Konohara Gakuin) and became the facility's administrator (and later its director). She loved the children and was adored by all, even after they graduated from the school.

She served as Novice Mistress and Reverend Mother and worked together with the foundress in the congregation's renewal after the Second Vatican Council. After the foundress's death, she became the president of the St. John's Society, a social welfare corporation, and took on essential responsibilities both at home and abroad.

Although she had many talents, she was always modest and disliked being outspoken. Especially in her later years, she spent her time compiling materials on the history of the Society and writing manuscripts, warmly welcomed the occasional graduate, and deepened her friendship with many friends and collaborators.

She spent her final days recuperating at Sakura-machi Hospital, where she passed away peacefully and quietly.

20th March 2022

The Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist - Mother Okamura Part 1

Our congregation, the Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist, is a small congregation that was established in Koganei in 1944. At that time, Koganei was in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Tokyo. All around were fields. Father Bunkei Totsuka built the Sakuramachi Hospital here in 1939. It was a big hospital for tuberculosis patients at the time, and was built with the goodwill of many people. Unfortunately, Father Totsuka passed away before the hospital was finished, and I would like to talk about our foundress, Fuku Okamura, who took over the remaining hospital according to God's will.

2nd March 2022

St. John the Evangelist

For God so loved the world that he gave* his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
John 3:16

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition ©

22nd February 2022

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

All I want is for the Lord's will to be done for the Society of St. Johns and its projects at the time the Lord desires.

13st February 2022

ST. JOHN'S SOCIETY’ELDERLY WELFARE SECTOR PART 2

　Annual events are held in each of the four seasons with a lot of ingenuity to suit the situation of the users at the time. For a while after the facility was opened, many of the patients were in good health, so we took wheelchairs to Koganei Park for cherry blossom viewing. Gradually, however, as the patients became older and more severe, their participation in events became more limited.

31st January 2022

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

Jesus said, "Heaven is in your heart."

21st January 2022

ST. JOHN'S SOCIETY’ELDERLY WELFARE SECTOR PART 1

　Back in 1975, in the 1950s, Japan entered an aging society, where elderly people who needed nursing care were living alone, their families could no longer support them, there was an increase in "social hospitalization" where people could not be discharged from the hospital even after treatment was completed, and there was a pressing need for a place to care for and live with the elderly.

3rd January 2022

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

Our true value is that apart from the Lord of Heaven, we are nothing at all. If we truly recognize this truth, no one can be arrogant.

1st January 2022

Happy New Year

25th December 2021

2021 END OF YEAR GREETING

19th December 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

I ask that you obey the providence of the Heavenly Parent out of love with all your heart and joy, that you do not pick and choose your cross, that you are always cheerful, and that you use everything for good with great joy and trust.

2nd December 2021

2021.11.27-28 Lecture by the Mother Superior on The First Sunday of the Month of Advent at the Catholic Fuchu Church

　On the 27th and 28th November, Sr. Junko Ikeda, Mother Superior of St. John’s Congregation gave three lectures during the Mass on the First Sunday of Pentecost at the Catholic Fuchu Church. As the situation of the corona infection has calmed down, the faces of the believers attending the Mass were cheerful, and unlike last year, I could feel that they could start preparing to receive Jesus slowly and peacefully. I remember that last year, I was so worried about the corona infection that I didn't have time to enjoy the waiting season. And then I realized that Jesus was born...! I look back on that situation. This year, Father Andrea, the head priest, recommended to me that I deliver a lecture. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of our Fuchu Community. We have walked together with the people of Fuchu Church. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the priests of the Milanese Order. I would like to continue to share my joys, sorrows, and sufferings with all of you to realize the Kingdom of God. Thank you very much for your support.

23rd November 2021

JINDAI BOTANICAL GARDENS 2021

17th November 2021

2021.11.14 Sales event at Fuchu Church

The St. John's Congregation held a sales event at the Fuchu Catholic Church on November 14. This was the second year that we held this event and the second year of Corona virus. While the main bazaar was not held again this year, the sisters prepared a variety of items. The items included a desk calendar for next year, Christmas cards, original cards, notepads, writing pads, angel dolls, handicrafts, etc. Some of the items were the same as in the past, and some were new, and the congregation seemed to have enjoyed themselves in doing so. The young sisters, volunteers, and novices who took part were extremely active and had a great time interacting with those who came to purchase. The event was blessed with beautiful weather, even if it was only for a short time. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Father Andrea, the head priest, Father Vincent, the assistant priest, and everyone at Fuchu Church. May God's grace and blessings pour forth upon all of you at Fuchu Church...♰

14th November 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

　
Everything is in the deep providence of the Lord of Heaven. Your thoughts will never be better than the Lord's.

8th November 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

　
When we look at the lives of Jesus, Mary, the martyrs, and the saints, we can hardly find any external happiness. However, the hearts of these people were always full of joy and gratitude.

1st November 2021

75th Anniversary of the founding of the Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist Part 3 (final)

　
The congregation has convents in Koganei, Fuchu and Oshino. With the aging of the population and the decrease in vocations, the number of sisters working in the field has decreased, but with the help of the sisters who support us with their prayers, we are doing our best, at least in numbers. 

25th October 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

Those who are truly humble, those who are truly filled with the love of the Lord of Heaven, should always be filled with the fragrance of eternal happiness from this world, cheerful, grateful and joyful in all circumstances.

18th October 2021

75th Anniversary of the founding of the Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist Part 2

At Aiseien, the sisters took care of the children who had lost their parents in the war and were living with a sense of loneliness and pain, as if they were children entrusted to them by God. When they found out that some of the children were a little different and could not do the same things as everyone else, they built Konohara Gakuen in Hachioji for intellectually disabled children. 

28th September 2021

75th Anniversary of the founding of the Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist Part 1

Our congregation, the Missionary Sisters of St. John the Evangelist, was born in a small village in Koganei in 1944, at the dawn of a difficult time that awaited Japan as the war was coming to an end. When everything was burned and there was no light to be seen, God gave us the grace. 

20th September 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

　
Do not boast of the gifts you have received as if they were your own or your own credit, do not be overwhelmed and saddened by the cross that is the treasure of merit, do not envy others from your respective paths, and always fight cheerfully for the Heavenly Parent and neighborly love.

6th September 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

23rd August 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

16th August 2021

The History of Fuji St. John's School PART 5

　The staff of the school's food caterying used to have curry and rice on Fridays, but when the day of the week was changed due to an event, K-kun, who loved curry and rice, got upset because curry and rice was not served on Fridays. He had been looking forward to it so much. When the staff heard this, they were encouraged to make a special curry just for him.

9th August 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

1st August 2021

The History of Fuji St. John's School PART 4

　People with intellectual disabilities, even if they are developmentally delayed, have wonderful personalities. They are kind, warm, honest, and pure-hearted, which strikes a chord with people. When newcomers come, they approach them with a friendly smile and ask, "Where are you from? Why are you here? Everyone is welcomed with open arms.

26th July 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

19th July 2021

The History of Fuji St. John's School PART 3

The winters in Oshino are much colder than expected, sometimes reaching temperatures of -16 to -20 degrees Celsius, and we needed a place where the residents could gather. It is a two-story gymnasium, partly raised and partitioned like a stage, with curtains that can be hung. It was used for various events such as Christmas parties, New Year's masses, and parent-teacher conferences, but on a regular basis it was used as a place for all the residents to run around.

12th July 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

5th July 2021

The History of Fuji St. John's School PART 2

　
The second phase of construction was suspended for about two years, and then resumed for another six months. The suffering of living in two places put a lot of strain on the inhabitants and staff who remained at the　Konohara Institute, and the staff who remained at the Institute for a time called for a strike to protest their predicament. At a time when St. John’s was in the midst of the most difficult situation, the Archbishop of Tokyo, Seiichi Shirayagi, assumed the position of President. I think it is no exaggeration to say that St. John's Society is what it is today because of him.

28th June 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

17th June 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)

10th June 2021

Messages from Mother Okamura to Her Sisters

(From letters she left behind)