TOKYO (AsiaNews): A support centre set up at the Kanazawa Catholic Church, in the Diocese of Nagoya, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, began operating on January 20, in the area most affected by the earthquake that devastated the Noto Peninsula on 1 January [Sunday Examiner online, January 3].
The facility offers help to those who still have to deal with the serious damage caused by the quake that killed 232 people and left so much destruction even in a country like Japan, accustomed to such phenomena.
The churches of Wajima and Nanao, the two congregations that suffered the most damage, are part of Kanazawa parish.
Since both are home to very small Catholic communities and don’t have a resident priest, Father Yoshihiro Kataoka, the parish priest of Kanazawa, tried to reach them right away to check on their situation.
Conditions are worse in Wajima, but fortunately, there were no casualties among local Catholics. The church did suffer major damage and will have to be rebuilt.
Although local power and gas supplies have been restored, this is not the case with water; it might take two or three months for things to return to order
The nearby Umi no Hoshi kindergarten, which caters to 66 children, is also unfit for use and lacks essential infrastructure. Like in other Japanese communities, the local parish is directly involved in its activities.
Initially, Father Kataoka was unable to reach Wajima, given the scope of the devastation, while the kindergarten’s head master, Tsuneko Maeda, had to walk more than four kilometres to reach it before he could provide information about its fate. He is now in contact with the children’s families, hoping to reopen soon and provide its important services.
In Nanao, the church did not suffer serious damage. Bishop Goro Matsuura of Nagoya was able to go there to celebrate Mass together with the small local congregation on the first Sunday after the earthquake.
“Jesus today is right here, in our reality,” the Bishop Matsuura told them. “He does not give us instructions and encouragement from above, but he is with us and bears our sufferings.”
The centre is also working on setting up the ‘Jinnobi restaurant’ in the kindergarten’s parking lot. ‘Jinnobi’ means ‘relax’ in the Nanao dialect, and the facility will offer hot meals, but will be more than a simple soup kitchen
In Nanao, local Catholics are using St Mary’s kindergarten as a base to offer help.
Although local power and gas supplies have been restored, this is not the case with water; it might take two or three months for things to return to order. Still, the kindergarten has reopened, accepting children, especially those whose parents are away for work during the day.
Teachers get water from nearby wells and use it sparingly for toilets, hand washing, and other essential needs.
For this reason, the support centre is working on providing water in large tanks for sanitation and drinking. It is also here that donations from various Japanese dioceses for the earthquake victims are directed.
This makes it possible to provide children with meals and hygiene with complete peace of mind, as well as reduce staff fatigue. Hopefully, all the children will be able to go back to kindergarten as before.
The centre is also working on setting up the “Jinnobi restaurant” in the kindergarten’s parking lot. “Jinnobi” means “relax” in the Nanao dialect, and the facility will offer hot meals, but will be more than a simple soup kitchen.
“We will open it every weekend as a place to encourage interaction,” Father Kataoka said. “We hope that it will draw not only people involved with the kindergarten, but also all those in the local community who need a break to meet again.”
To support these initiatives, the Church in Japan has started a fundraiser.
“We have already received donations from many people and organisations and we will never be able to express our gratitude enough. We appreciate your prayers and support,” Bishop Matsuura wrote on the website of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan.
