St. John’s

Congregation related

2nd October 2021

2021 Vow Taking Ceremony

First Vows, Perpetual Vows, Golden Celebration, Diamond Celebration
　
　I am grateful that we were able to hold our Vow Ceremony on a sunny day after the passage of a major typhoon. Although we were not able to hold the usual vow ceremony for two years in a row due to Coronavirus, we were able to hold a ceremony this year filled with your prayers. It was a warm ceremony filled with the thoughts of those who wanted to celebrate with us. Archbishop Isao Kikuchi, Archbishop of Tokyo, presided over the ceremony, and many priests co-presided. In his sermon, the Archbishop taught us how consecrated life should be a way to show hope to those who are suffering during this period of coronavirus. Our congregation is really a small group, as we always say. We do not know what we can do in this world today. However, we all renewed our hearts and hope that each member can sow seeds of hope in their given places and in their given conditions.

1st October 2021

Noviciate Initiation Ceremony

　On October 1, the feast day of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus, two sisters were blessed with the grace to enter the noviciate training period. They were Le Nhuyen Vao Vi from Vietnam and Harumi Ito. Despite this coronavirus period, it was also a time of great joy for our congregation.

7th September 2021

August 26, 2021~September 4, 2021 yearly retreat

　
　We were blessed to be able to participate in the annual retreat under the threat of coronavirus, by using masks, washing hands, disinfecting hands, etc. Plastic face boards were set up in the cafeteria and in the lecture room. In addition, plastic face boards were set up in the cafeteria and the lecture room. In spite of this environment, which was designed to prevent the spread of infection, we had a very blessed time.
　This year, we asked Father Kenji Yamauchi of the Order of St. Paul to lead us in meditation.
Based on the constitution of St. John, Father Yamauchi invited us to savor the history of the congregation, the foundress Mother Fuku Okamura, and the spirit, purpose, and mission of the congregation. He read from the Gospel of John and the Epistles of John, often referring to his own congregation in his talks, and quoted Paul's letters to bring out more clearly the charism and mission of ours.

16th April 2021

16th April Ceremony accepting 2 young women as Postulants

　
Acceptance Ceremony for Applicants
On April 16, two young women were accepted as Postulants. They were Ms. Le Nuyen Bao Vi and Ms. Harumi Ito. Due to Corona, it was a warm, members-only ceremony officiated by Father Kato, of the Catholic Koganei Church. He gave a sermon on the fruit of the vine, and I think all the sisters felt the same way. We chanted silently and reminded ourselves of our charism by uniting our prayers, because now we can not do so loudly. We prayed that we would "bear fruit" and that the fruit would be a source of enrichment for many people. I believe that the two new applicants will also be able to bear fruit little by little. It may not be delicious from the start, but it will certainly be something that will support life. I believe that we have been bearing fruit here in Koganei, Tokyo, for more than 75 years now. We as a congregation and each of our members have been contributing in their own way. And now we have 2 new members. Our congregation is not a big one. It was born at a time when Japan was suffering from poverty and a sense of stagnation, and the light forward was not visible. Now, as then, although economically different, we are also in the midst of a sense of stagnation and lack the necessary light. With the addition of these two new members, we have taken a new step forward. Although it may be small, it is a faint glimmer of hope. It was a bright moment in the midst of Easter. We would like all those who offered up their prayers for us.

8th March 2021

February 27-28, 2021 two-day and one-night vocation’s retreat

February 27-28, 2021 two-day and one-night vocation’s retreat

The theme was "Stay Connected to Me”.

　As usual, we borrowed the Holy Spirit Sister’s Meditation House in Koganei. The theme was "Stay Connected to Me. This year, we had been preparing for the event by praying and discerning seriously whether we can make it happen. Thanks to everybody’s help, we were able to build a safe and secure prayer space and atmosphere by thoroughly preparing for infection control in advance and taking precautions on the day.