ASIA/JAPAN - “The momentum by young people in solidarity is moving,” says a Salesian

Tokyo (Agenzia Fides) – “In this tragedy, one of the most moving aspects is the momentum of solidarity shown by young Japanese,” explains Japanese Salesian priest Fr Yasutaka Muramatsu, in an interview with Fides. Fr Muramatsu is provincial secretary of the Salesian Inspectorate of St Francis Xavier.
Fr Muramatsu, dedicated to youth ministry and involved with many youth groups, tells Fides that “the youth, Christian and not, have mobilised, wanting to go immediately to the hard-hit areas, to put their energies and enthusiasm at the service of victims, to help them and return a smile to their face and give them a bit of hope. It is moving to see their burning love for their neighbour. It is a lesson for all teachers.”
The Japanese Salesians – about 120 missionaries in 13 houses – are involved in fundraising for Caritas Japan and for the Diocese of Sendai, which sustained the most damage from the tsunami.
Present in the Japanese islands since 1927, the religious have already lived through the difficult phase of post-war reconstruction, noting the harmful effects of atomic radiation after Hiroshima and Nagasaki: “Today the main concern is the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, which is not yet safe. There are conflicting reports circulating and people are afraid of not knowing the whole truth,” notes Fr Muramatsu. However, the Salesians continue their mission by working in schools, in youth ministry and evangelisation through the media, “to stay very close in all ways and share the fate of the Japanese people, overwhelmed by the tragedy,” notes the priest.
The religious continue to organise prayer vigils for the victims and in the coming days they will have a meeting to take stock of the situation and define concrete ways of helping. It remains very difficult to move about, given the limited means of available transport, “so we have learned to stay in contact through communication means such as e-mail, the web and social networks, to encourage communion,” concludes the priest. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 22/3/2011)