The Pontifical Mission Societies have acknowleged the anniversary of the Congregation in Japan: "The Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SSCC) has just celebrated its 75th anniversary present in Japan at the Tomobemonastery. They are known as the Picpus Fathers, after the Parisian neighbourhood where their founder opened the first house. The Bishop of Saitama, Mgr Mario Michiaki Yamanouchi SDB, presided at a Eucharistic Celebration on 4 November. He was joined by members of the congregation present in Japan and the Philippines, as well as priests from the local diocese’.
After a brief review of the history of the Congregation, highlighting the figure of Saint Damien of Molokai, a brief history of the SSCC missionaries travelling East:
“In 1819, after the turbulence of the Napoleonic wars in Europe, the first missionary left for Asia. He was Father Michel Grégoire. His destination was Pondicherry in India, where his remains lie after a lifetime of missionary work. Father Michel Grégoire would be followed by numerous missionaries to countries in Asia and the Pacific, especially when in September 1825, Propaganda Fide, today the Dicastery for Evangelization, entrusted the Congregation with the missionary care of the Sandwich Islands, the present-day Hawaiian Islands, where, apart from the work carried out in Molokai with the lepers, they built 113 churches or parishes in a century. Today, in Asia, there are missionary communities of the Sacred Hearts of Picpus in Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and India.”
11/27/2024