Since coming to Tokyo for missionary pastoral ministry, I have been very much interested in the youth ministry: both on the parish and diocesan levels. The youth are not a highly visible segment of the Church in Japan, and the challenge before us is to bring new life and vibrancy to their presence.
History demonstrates for us that many young people, by the generous gift of self, have made great contributions to the mission of the Church on Earth. And today there are still some young people who faithfully and generously devote themselves to the Church’s mission in Japan. But after many years in the youth ministry, I have come across several problems facing the youth in today’s society. Most of the issues that Japanese youth face are not restricted to any religious group, club or nation. They include problems of drug use, materialism, low-income jobs, the negative impacts of electronic media, a lack of self-confidence and, above all, confusion and ambiguity concerning the real life moral issues that they face.
These issues affect young people generally, and we focus on many of them in our youth ministry. However, we are also noticing a disturbing rise in the rates of depression, bullying that escalates to violence, and suicides among Japanese youth. Societal changes have forced many young people to give up certain family and social values that were an integral part of their identities. This creates for many a very deep sense of self-alienation. Many Japanese young people report seriously questioning whether or not life is something good, and they have a hard time finding their way. However, the youth ministry is focused on asking the youth to look critically at the difficulties they face, and ask themselves if there is anything they can do to affect change.
In Matsubara Church, we have been working hard to build up an international youth group. During our monthly gatherings, we share about the issues mentioned, and we strategize to see how to respond to them both individually and as a group. An important goal of the ministry is to find avenues where spiritual and social activities can combine in order to help young people on the path to a life directed toward God and others. Among this year’s activities, we put an emphasis on encountering the elderly. The pastoral objective for doing this was to reconnect the youth to the social relationship reality. My own experience of being born and raised in a traditional society was that the older generation served as the principle transmitter of beliefs, values, traditions and worldviews to the younger generation. The socialization of the family, as well as involvement with the church and schools, has a significant impact on the direction and formation of the young. But in Japan we are seeing the erosion of traditional systems and institutions: family and Church now have a declining impact on the young people.
We chose to visit a home for the elderly and those who need permanent care called “Francisco Villa.” The Franciscan sisters in Setagaya prefecture founded this home in 1975, and today there are nearly one hundred residents at Francisco Villa. When we first arrived at the Villa, we engaged in some time of prayer and guidance from the personnel. Even though the nuns manage the home, the residents are made up of various faiths, so the youth were advised to realize and be sensitive to those differences. Our goal was not to proselytize anyway; we came to listen to the elderly, and give them the opportunity to share their experiences. It was a wonderful encounter among people of different generations.
We learned a lot of from their experiences: the residents had so many stories to tell our youth that we spent much more time on this activity than expected! Spontaneously we took the initiative to bring some of the residents outside to enjoy the fresh air. It was the first time in years for some who could not walk to be outdoors. Several of them did not even know that they were surrounded by a beautiful garden. Without the young people, this would never have been imagined. The great Japanese traditional love of nature was evident as many shed tears of joy to breathe the open air and take in the beauty of the garden. It was a blessing for our youth to see how dearly held that cultural identity was among the elderly—and they took pride in being able to witness the beauty with their new acquaintances.
At the end of our visit, we sang some hymns and the much-loved Japanese song about home, “Furusato.” We then proceeded to the chapel where we shared our impressions with one another, before saying a prayer of thanksgiving. The visit was very well appreciated from all perspectives. This activity affirmed to all of us the value of youth involvement in the Church. I strongly believe in the youth ministry; it has been my passion for years. The young people of the faith today are indeed the future of the Church. In this ministry, I have witnessed many wonderful signs of hope for the Church.
The challenges facing our youth are real, and many find themselves living in a “virtual” world, where they are not in touch with humanity, reality, or the moral obligations that accompany either. Work and pleasure are seemingly unthinkable without screens and computer products. Of course, the future is blind, but we can help and guide our youth in what they envision for themselves. We obviously need to be creative: use different logic and ask different questions, and adapt our approaches to resonate with the youth of today. Beyond their religious formation, we need to create alternative avenues for recreation and social interaction. Constructive entertainment is a challenge for this ministry as there is enormous pressure from the secular world on the youth of today.
We carry on and pray always for creative and meaningful ways to invite young people into the Church and into light of Christ. This past summer I accompanied nearly seventy Japanese youths on a World Youth Day pilgrimage to Rio de Janeiro. There, the call of Pope Francis to the youth was:
“Go, do not be afraid, and serve. … Jesus is counting on you! The Church is counting on you! The Pope is counting on you! … When we face challenges together, then we are strong; we discover resources we did not know we had.”
Many of us shed tears listening to these powerful words from Pope Francis. It was the same words of Christ, resounding with fresh power. In looking for spiritual strength for the youth ministry, here I could hear Christ telling me through Pope Francis: “Go, do not be afraid, and serve.”
Being involved in this ministry to the youth since arriving in Japan, I felt the deepest personal encouragement in Pope Francis’ message to priests:
“I would like to address you, dear priests concelebrating with me at this Eucharist: you have come to accompany your young people, and this is wonderful, to share this experience of faith with them! But it is a stage on the journey. Please continue to accompany them with generosity and joy, help them to become actively engaged in the Church; never let them feel alone!”
Please pray for our continued efforts to gather and accompany the young disciples of all nations.
Honoré Kabundi, cicm
Tokyo, Japan
Fr. Honoré Kabundi, cicm, is a native of Democratic Republic of Congo who joined Missionhurst-CICM in 1998 and was sent to Japan in 2006. He was ordained in 2010 and is currently serving as the provincial secretary of the CICM Asia province, as well as working in parish ministry at Matsubara Church in Tokyo.
