Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kagoshima (Agenzia Fides) - Kagoshima diocese recently welcomed a young missionary family from Spain. Members of the Neo Catechumen Way Alfredo and Emilia Martinez, the parents aged 30, and six children aged 10 months to 11 years have come to evangelise families in the diocese. The young couple were welcomed with a special ceremony in the Catholic cathedral presided by Bishop Koriyama Kenjiro.
Speaking to the media the Bishops explained why he had invited the family, previously in the diocese Takamatsu, to come to his diocese of Kagoshima: “Today in society there is so little communication in the family between parents and children and it is very difficult to hand on the faith to the children. But I see that people want to be like this model family, the Martinez family. They have a 10 year old daughter and she wants to be a missionary too. They are a visible sign of something we have lost”.
After speaking with leading members of the Neo Catechumen Way in Japan the Bishop decided to ask the couple to Kagoshima to start evangelising families. Two other Neo Catechumen families will be coming to help them in this endeavour. In the diocese of Kagoshima there are already two Neo Catechumen priests.
The Neo Catechumen Way founded by Spanish born Kiko Arguello, is an experience of Christian life starting from a full re-discovery of baptism and a path of formation based on the experience of the early Christian communities. The Neo Catechumen Way has 17,000 members in 900 dioceses all over the world and about 700 priests who studied for the priesthood in Neo Catechumen seminaries. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 19/9/2007 righe 24 parole 249)
