ASIA/JAPAN - Men and women religious in Sendai: one dead, several structures damaged

Sendai (Agenzia Fides) – There are various institutes and religious congregations, who are carrying out their ministries in the Diocese of Sendai, the epicentre of the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami which devastated the Japanese coastline. Fides offers the following first glance at the situation of religious personnel and their works. The Canadian missionary Fr André Lachapelle, from the Society for Foreign Missions of Quebec, who has worked in Japan since 1961, was whisked away by the waves of the tsunami while in his car travelling to his parish of Shiogama.
Via sms the Brothers of the Christian Schools present in Sendai informed the General House in Rome that they are all safe, including the poor children aged 3 to 18 years that are housed in their facilities. Now the main problem, says Fr Jorge from the General House, is the lack of food and fuel. The community of men religious in Sendai is composed of four Mexican, two Japanese and one Canadian. The Daughters of St Paul, with 13 communities and 140 religious sisters in Japan, also have a book shop in Sendai: the 8 sisters are safe and sound. Two of them are particularly shocked and struggling to recover, says the Secretary-General. Their house was damaged, but it is still habitable. There are also damages to the book shop, located in the city centre. According to information provided by the Paulines in Japan, three priests are missing.
The General Curia of the Dominican Sisters of the Roman Congregation of St Dominic, contacted by Fides, provides the following information: the Congregation has 5 houses in Sendai, with 41 religious sisters, all Japanese. Praise God they are all fine, even the buildings have not suffered particular damage because they are located near the centre of town and not near the sea. The Provincial Prioress of the Congregation said there was initial concern for two major projects run by the Dominicans: a school and an orphanage, with a children's centre that currently assists 80 children and young people in difficulty, but fortunately the latest news is encouraging.
The Dominicans (OP) in Sendai are 6 priests and 12 sisters. Father Juan Pablo, secretary to the General Master, reports to Fides that they are still unable to make contact with their brethren in Japan, but through other people they heard that they are well, although one of the houses seems to have been completely destroyed.
The Society for Foreign Missions of Bethlehem has received assurances that its three priests, who have the pastoral care of four parishes, three of them along the coast, are all well. One of them works near the nuclear power plant. (SL/CB/MS) (Agenzia Fides 15/03/2011)