May 2021

The month of May, together with the many flowers blossoming at this season, and the green beauty of the new foliage of the woods surrounding Shinmeizan, has also brought some increase in our usual activities.  Besides individual visitors, and the monthly retreat, held on May 13,  to which also some non-Christians participated (among them the Ven. Urata, Head of the Saifuku Temple of Kumamoto),  

on May 30 we hosted a retreat for a  group of thirteen people from the Parish of Tetori (Kumamoto City) led by the Pastor, Fr. Sakurai, and the leader of the group, Ms. Hirata.  Among the participants, six catechumens and members of the group accompanying them in their preparation for Baptism, including two persons from Sri Lanka and two from Indonesia.

Ven. Urata, with Ms. Nogawa at the monthly retreat of May 13

The group from the Parish of Tetori (Kumamoto) during the Eucharist at Shinmeizan

Flowers at Shinmeizan during the month of May

Also the activity on line has been increasing!  Particularly significant has been the decision to start a group named “Shinmeizan kosankai” (i.e. “Study group `Shinmeizan` for research on classical religious texts”) in which Buddhists of the Nichiren tradition, led by Ven. Shaku, Head of the Hoko Temple of Ogaki (Gifu) and Ven. Hara, Head of the Choen Temple of Kumamoto, join Fr. Sonoda, Sr. Maria and Fr. Franco of Shinmeizan in monthly sessions of research on the classical texts of both religious traditions.  The first meeting of the group was held on line (ZOOM) on May 24 (after a preparatory session held on May 10) and will soon be available on you tube.

The recording of the online conference
between Buddhist Monks of the Nichiren School and members of Shinmeizan