The international community officially began on 23rd of February 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. The Holy Mass was presided over by Fr. Takeshi, the Vice-Provincial Superior. Currently two members, Fr. Rodrigo Velez, and Fr. Clement Lee, have joined the new International Community. At present Fr. Hagiwara is the superior, and Fr. Sebastian is the vice-rector of the community.
As of February 23, 2025, the Holy Spirit takes center stage in motivating the confreres towards the formation of the international community. What actions will the new international community undertake? Reflecting on the brief timeline of God’s illuminating hope, we note that in 2015, the Redemptorist congregation in Japan unified under the General Government in Rome. This consolidation sparked a revival in evangelization efforts and broadened missionary initiatives, including personnel shifts during the tenure of Provincial Fr. Seto. Members who worked in the Kagoshima Province of Munich working in Tokyo, and confreres who worked in the Quebec-Tokyo Vice-Province transitioned to Nagasaki and Kagoshima.
Fr. Jean Raymond Girard is celebrating his 60th anniversary of coming to Japan this year and is currently the last missionary. Fr. Moennich Theodor is from Munich to Kagoshima and is the last German missionary of the Redemptorist to Japan. We cannot forget that we are where we are today because of their dedicated consecration and missionary work. It is not a display of great nations or power, but in us, the small and weak, we find God’s presence and mercy, and the “hope” of our existence. We continue to make efforts to find new seeds of hope through the power of the Holy Spirit working in small ways and to reveal that hope. In February, a mass for consecrated life was offered by Cardinal Isao Kikuchi, and the Redemptorists shared Fr. Faber’s Indonesian vocational experience. Please refer to the URL below.
The aspect of consecrated life that was emphasized was the international community establishment in Japan, and in the era of the renewal of the regional jurisdiction of our religious congregation around the world, the Redemptorist in Japan has become involved with members of the Asia-Oceania Conferences to which it belongs, after leaving its former mother province of Canada.
.In September 2022, at the General Assembly of the Redemptorist Congregation worldwide held in Rome, the mission proposal submitted by Japan and the proposal to establish a new international community in Japan and revitalize missionary works were approved. Since then, we have continued to build up the basic cultural and language studies and recruit, and currently two members, Fr. Rodrigo Velez, and Fr. Clement Lee, belong to the community.
Fr. Rodrigo Velez, CSsR. 
Fr. Clement Lee, CSsR. 
The international community lives with the community of the Tokyo community. Currently, members attend a Japanese language school in Shin-Okubo, Tokyo. Fr. Sebastian, who is the former general consultor of Asia Oceania, the coordinator of the international community, accompanies them. Fr. Hagiwara, the superior of the Tokyo community, is in charge of the local area. Although these are not visible on the surface, they sincerely support the community in terms of daily life, language school guidance, medical and insurance care, and visa preparation and renewal.
And in August 2022, the Redemptorist in Japan relaunched with the Japan Vice Province, with the Indonesian Province as its mother province. Fr. Bosco (Tokunoshima), Fr. Orfan (Nagasaki), Fr. Yanto (Osaka), Fr. Faber (Tokyo), and Fr. Sebastian are evangelizing for the Japanese Vice Province. Fr. Stefano was sent from the South Korea Region to Japan for missionary work, and study Japanese language and then sent to his new post as a “Pilgrim of Hope” this Easter.
The activities of the international community are the “new mission” of Pope Francis. It is an initiative of the Redemptorist in Japan. With the increase in foreigners staying in Japan, we plan to provide pastoral care and assistance to those left behind, and to cooperate with other communities and NPOs to carry out three-dimensional activities. We are currently learning Japanese language and culture as the foundation of our missionary work and accumulating many experiences. We are finding new hope in God who sown the seeds of hope in the midst of difficulties, and we are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to entrust ourselves to that. We ask for your prayers and support for this new mission with patience.
Fr. Takeshi Inoue, CSsR.
Vice-Provincial Superior
