June 2026

The heavy rains of this season (tsuyu) notwithstanding,---and even the road climbing up to Shinmeizan being at times interrupted -– also during this month of June Shinmeizan welcomed several guests. Among them:

• the group of faithful of the Anglican Church, coming from Tokyo on June 8-10 for a three days retreat, led by their Pastor, Rev. Berek Smith and Rev. Thomas Plant;

• the two Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary, from Kumamoto, who came for a week long retreat on June 12-21;
• the 12 persons who took part in the monthly retreat held as usual on the second Thursday of the month, on June 11.
• The group of five people from Kikuchi led by Ms Yanagawa, who visited Shinmeizan on June 14

Also our activities in the field of interreligious dialog have continued:

• On June 7, Fr. Claudio took part in the yearly commemoration of the unjust execution of Takeo Nishi, an important yearly event in the campaign against the death penalty, carried on by Ven. Ryuji Furukawa, Head of the Seimeizan-Schweitzer Temple of Tamana, following on the footsteps of his father, Rev. Furukawa Tairyu;

• On June 9-11, Fr. Franco participated in a three days meeting of Buddhist monks of the Soto-Zen Buddhist School, held in Amakusa, speaking about “Liturgical Hymns in the Catholic Church”.
• On June 18, Sr. Maria – in her role of Consultor of the Committee on Ecumenism and interreligious Dialog of the Catholic Bishops‘ Conference of Japan, took part (online) in a meeting of the Committee on Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialog of the Federation of Asian Bishops- Conferences of Asia (FABC/OEIA).