Catholic Chofu Church Youth Pilgrimage Church
Pope Francis has announced that 2025 will be a Holy Year. In his Bull called "Hope Does Not Deceive," he designated 2025 as a Holy Year and invites us to celebrate it with the theme "Pilgrims of Hope."
Chofu Church has been designated as a pilgrimage church (especially for young people) by the Tokyo Diocese.
Holy Year 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope
https://www.cbcj.catholic.jp/catholic/holyyear/jubilee2025/
A Jubilee is a special celebration that the Church observes at least once every 25 years. It is a year of pilgrimage, focusing on the spiritual life,
It is a year in which we go to confession, celebrate special masses, and turn to God in thanksgiving and repentance.
The Holy Year will begin on December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
The Ordinary Jubilee will conclude with the closure of the door on the Feast of Epiphany on January 6, 2026.
Chofu Church will start as a pilgrimage church (especially for young people) on December 29, 2024.
The Jubilee Year is an opportunity to receive hope from God's grace and to be strengthened in our journey toward God.
We are called to be a source of hope to many in times of difficulty.
In order to share this blessing with many people, Chofu Church encourages people to interact with the relics in the church.
We are preparing a pilgrimage course for you to experience the presence of God.
Pilgrimage route information
Click to enlarge
Chofu Catholic Church
The parish, which has St. John Bosco as its patron saint, was approved in 1967. The current cathedral was built in 2008 and is located on the grounds of the Salesian Seminary. The adjacent Cimatti Hall (parish hall) can also be used to hold various events, including concerts.
Cathedral (outside)
The chapel of Chofu Church is designed based on the motif of the tabernacle where Moses met with God, and is a sacred place.
Tabernacle of Meeting
(Exodus 33:7-23)
"And when Moses entered the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tabernacle, they rose up and worshiped, every man at the door of his tent. And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend."
Cathedral (inside)
All seats in the cathedral are arranged facing the altar and the cross of Jesus. There are also 12 small stained-glass windows on both sides of the wall, which embody the image of the 12 apostles watching over the inside of the cathedral.
Salesian Seminary Cathedral
A replica of the painting "Father Kibe and the 187 Martyrs" by Ando Maki is displayed at the entrance.
At the front of the church is the "Bronze Statue of Jesus on the Cross" by Munehiro Ikeda. The reading stand and altar are engraved in seal script with the words "Faith, Hope, and Love," which are the foundations of Christian life.
Vincenzo Cimatti
Born in Faenza, Italy, he came to Japan in 1926 as a Salesian missionary, dedicated to the formation of young people. He devoted himself to music and prayer, and to establishing churches, schools, and orphanages, and devoted all his efforts to the evangelization of Japan, before passing away in 1965. In 1991, the Church declared him "Venerable," acknowledging that he had heroically lived the virtues of "faith, hope, and charity." Father Cimatti's body is enshrined in the Seminary Memorial Chapel. An autopsy conducted 12 years after his death confirmed that his body had not decayed and that his skin was still elastic, and he remains in his sarcophagus in the Memorial Chapel to this day.
Cimatti Museum
This museum was built in 1983 on the grounds of the Salesian Seminary to commemorate Father Cimatti's legacy and to preserve and study his materials. The first floor houses a music archive with a collection of over 950 pieces composed by his teacher. Halfway up the stairs are photographs from his time in Italy, and on the second floor are exhibits of his research and collections as a Doctor of Natural Sciences, as well as drafts and handwritten notes on all aspects of music, including music theory and harmony, as well as 6,300 letters collected to date, and information on his missionary life in Japan.
Father Chiara's gravestone
The tombstone standing quietly in front of the museum is that of Father Giuseppe Chiara, who was the model for Rodrigo, the protagonist of Shusaku Endo's "Silence." In the 17th century, there was a "Christian House" near Myogadani Station in Bunkyo Ward, where ten missionary priests who renounced their faith in 1643 were interred. Father Chiara died of illness in 1685 and was buried at Koishikawa Muryoin Temple, but in 1943 Father Tassinari of the Salesian Society discovered the tombstone and moved it to Chofu Theological Seminary. It is currently designated as a cultural property of Chofu City.
Replica of the Shroud
According to the Bible, Jesus' body was wrapped in "linen, sindum, and shroud." The shroud, which is said to have been preserved, is located in Turin, northern Italy, and a replica is on display at the Cathedral in Chofu (only at Chofu Church in Japan). The shroud bears the same bloodstains as Jesus, including the crucifixion, scourging, crown of thorns, nail marks, and piercing wounds to the chest, and records the suffering and resurrection of Jesus.
Holy Shroud HP
Plenary Indemnity
A plenary indulgence is a complete remission of the punishment that one would have received as an apology for a sin that has been committed, by God's mercy and grace.
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Parents may try to punish their children severely for the sake of their education, as they want to raise them to be considerate people because of their selfish behavior. By making them suffer a little, they make them realize the seriousness of what they have done. However, as soon as the child realizes his or her own fault, reflects on it, and apologises, the parents immediately waive the punishment and embrace the child lovingly, praising him or her for being honest.
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When we commit a sin, we hurt and sadden God and our neighbors by behaving selfishly. We also forget God's mercy and distance ourselves from him. However, when we sincerely regret the sin we have committed, receive the sacrament of penance, and resolve to move forward as new people, the Church can, on God's behalf, absolve us from making the reparation we should have made, that is, from accepting punishment as a sign of our apology. This is what is called "indulgence." God is pleased with and fully accepts our "sincere and honest attitude of remorse" and our "positive determination to deepen our love." This historical form, which God is full of love for human beings and which we are not aware of, is called "penal indulgence."
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In sending us his Son, Christ, God makes us realize his call to mercy. Christ has forgiven us, freed us from our sins, and redeemed us. In gratitude for this fact, the Church gives Christians public encouragement in the form of "indulgences," or "freedom of reparation," so that they too may love, support, and show solidarity with one another.
A plenary indulgence is a complete remission of the punishment that one would have received as an apology for a sin that has been committed, by God's mercy and grace.
-
Parents may try to punish their children severely for the sake of their education, as they want to raise them to be considerate people because of their selfish behavior. By making them suffer a little, they make them realize the seriousness of what they have done. However, as soon as the child realizes his or her own fault, reflects on it, and apologises, the parents immediately waive the punishment and embrace the child lovingly, praising him or her for being honest.
-
When we commit a sin, we hurt and sadden God and our neighbors by behaving selfishly. We also forget God's mercy and distance ourselves from him. However, when we sincerely regret the sin we have committed, receive the sacrament of penance, and resolve to move forward as new people, the Church can, on God's behalf, absolve us from making the reparation we should have made, that is, from accepting punishment as a sign of our apology. This is what is called "indulgence." God is pleased with and fully accepts our "sincere and honest attitude of remorse" and our "positive determination to deepen our love." This historical form, which God is full of love for human beings and which we are not aware of, is called "penal indulgence."
-
In sending us his Son, Christ, God makes us realize his call to mercy. Christ has forgiven us, freed us from our sins, and redeemed us. In gratitude for this fact, the Church gives Christians public encouragement in the form of "indulgences," or "freedom of reparation," so that they too may love, support, and show solidarity with one another.
Conditions for Obtaining Plenary Indemnity
Moved by a spirit of charity, before and after carrying out the works (A, B, C) prescribed by the Church for a Plenary Indulgence , three fundamental conditions must be fulfilled:
Three basic conditions (01-03)
Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Before receiving a plenary indulgence, one must receive the sacrament of reconciliation (confession).
01
02
Receiving Holy Communion
After receiving the sacrament of reconciliation, you must receive Holy Communion.
03
Praying for the Pope's wishes
We need to pray a special prayer that the Pope intends.
Lord's Prayer
Hail Mary Prayer
Glory Singing (Praise of the Most Holy Trinity)
Declaration of Faith
Pilgrimage course schedule and application method
1. Supervising priest: Father Yamanouchi
Record of the Journey of the Catholic Chofu Church
This record will begin in April 2024 and run through the Holy Year of 2025, the 100th anniversary of the Salesian Society's arrival in Japan.
This is a record of the graces that the Catholic Chofu Church community has received as a pilgrimage church from the Lord Jesus Christ and the journey that it has traveled together with the Holy Spirit .
