This month, first of all, we wish to remember with sentiments of deep gratitude, Mr. Michio Uemura, from Kumamoto, who died on June 12, at the age of 93. He has been a very dear friend and a precious cooperator in our activity of interreligious dialogue. Since the very beginning, in 1991, and up to his very last days, he took part in the events of the Kumamoto Group for Interreligious Dialogue, for many long years acting as its ‘Secretary’. May the Lord reward him and welcome him into His heavenly house and His peace!

During the month of May, the tsutsuji in full bloom of the stairway that leads from the bottom to the top of the hill of Shinmeizan, welcomed many guests, among them:

• On May 3-5, Mr. and Ms. Hamada, who for several years have been coming regularly to Shinmeizan at the beginning of May for some days of retreat;
• On May 3-5, also Michelle and other two members of the Women Focolare Movement, from Nagasaki. 

 With the coming of spring, the beautifully green new foliage of the kusu trees surrounding Shinmeizan has welcome new guests, among whom we would like to remember in a special way the eight friends of the `Paradise` group, from Yokohama and Tokyo, led by Ms. Murakami Kyoko, for their seventh (!) three days` retreat at Shinmeizan (April 8-10)