Displaced People and the “Hidden Victims” of the Coronavirus

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Jerome Novotny

Jerry Novotny OMI – Recent estimates disclose that 70,754,326 million people are displaced worldwide. These are people who have fled from persecution, violence and armed conflict. It is the seventh year in a row that the number of displaced people has increased. UN refugee agency chief Filippo Grandi said that “the world has become almost unable to make peace”. Some 13.6 people were newly displaced during the course of 2019. This is the highest increase that UNHCR has seen in its 70-year existence.

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Remembering Mary in times of fear and uncertainty…

Posted on May 2, 2020 by Bradly Rozairo

Bradly Rozairo OMI –  Dear friends, as we begin the month of May with Mary our Mother I would like to share a short story with you. 

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Life in Japan at this time of the pandemic

Posted on April 27, 2020 by editor

Jude Peirisulle OMI – Japan is one of many countries affected by COVID -19. The first major cluster of the virus was discovered on the Diamond Princess cruise ship which had arrived in Yokohama in early February. The cruiser was put in quarantine after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to have the virus.

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Evangelization in Japan

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Bradly Rozairo

Bradly Rozairo OMI – : Is evangelization difficult in Japan? This is a question often asked by many, and the answer is, Yes. Having lived in Japan for a good number of years I would say that missionaries do struggle, get disappointed and sometimes even plan to go back to their own country. The reason is that a materially rich country like Japan poses a big challenge to missionaries when it comes to evangelization.

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I leaned down and kissed my son

Posted on April 21, 2020 by Jerome Novotny

Jerome Novotny OMI – Many individuals in today’s society understand the pain felt by mothers after they have aborted their babies. But what about Post-Abortion Syndrome which affects men? As the body count of unborn babies continues to increase, research shows that more and more fathers are desperately crying out in pain as a result of these abortions. Several weeks ago while browsing google on this topic, I ran across the following article: “My ‘Friend’ Assumed I’d Be Pro Abortion for Cleft Babies Like Mine & He’s Dead Wrong”. This, in turn, resulted in writing on abortion and unborn babies with cleft lip.

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ProLifers as Modern Disciples – The India Experience

Posted on April 9, 2020 by Jerome Novotny

Jerry Novotny, OMI: As I look out the window this morning, the world seems to have a surreal appearance. The feeling I sense in Japan is a quiet calmness before the storm hits. The effect of the Coronavirus pandemic will eventually touch all of us in some way. Hopefully, the world will come to realize the need “to work together” and “to put God back into society.” Without this, life will only continue to get worse.

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Gender gap deeply ingrained in Japan, says top U.N. official Nakamitsu

Posted on March 7, 2020 by editor

Gender gaps remain significant in Japan as traditional roles for men and women are strongly reinforced in society and through mass media, leaving many women accustomed to restrictive norms and limited opportunities, a senior U.N. official has said.

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Japanese dioceses suspend Masses amid coronavirus epidemic

Posted on March 7, 2020 by editor

Mar 4, 2020.- Some Japanese dioceses have suspended Masses for several weeks due to the ongoing coronavirus epidemic across the country.

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Is Hikikomori (Extreme Social Withdrawal) a Global Epidemic?

Posted on January 14, 2020 by editor

In the late 1990s, just as home computers and internet access were becoming ubiquitous, people in Japan began paying closer attention to a severe form of social withdrawal—marked by the desire to be alone in one’s bedroom—that was becoming commonplace among adolescent boys. They called this form of extreme social withdrawal hikikomori.

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…they have seen a great light

Posted on January 6, 2020 by editor

Fr. Bernard ONDAP OMI – Last December 26-27, 2019, the Japan Oblate Delegation, joined by four diocesan clergy from Takamatsu Diocese, came together for the annual Christmas at Nakajimacho Parish Rectory in Kochi, Japan. The simple yet very meaningful atmosphere started with the Eucharistic celebration presided by Bishop Suwa. In his homily, the Bishop empathized that we should recognize the light that God has given us in our day to day life. We face a lot of challenges as Missionaries and as a Church in Japan, but God never fails to give us that light which radiates hope.

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The Oblate Mission in Vietnam

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Bradly Rozairo

Bradly Rozairo, OMI – The Missionary Oblates were allowed by the Communist government to enter Vietnam in 2010 to perform limited missionary work; they had been there since 2001. The Oblates are one of just a handful of religious congregations given permission to work in the country. Much of their work is pastoral in nature, but they also have outreach programs including overseeing the Bung Orphanage.

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Childhood in Japan is certainly not getting any easier

Posted on December 29, 2019 by editor

The girl was 15, the teacher in his early 30s. He recognized her ability, encouraged her, befriended her, seduced her. He took her to a love hotel and said, “This is what grown-ups do.”

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