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Message from the Priest
"May your word to me be fulfilled."(Luke 1:38)
This Bible verse is the passage I chose when I became a priest, praying for God’s grace and striving to live my entire life in the Word of God. During my years as a priest, many things have happened, but I think one of the greatest was being sent to Japan as a missionary. I had not volunteered to become a missionary, but I came here in obedience after listening to the bishop’s words. I believe that God reveals His will to us in many different ways. Perhaps, through the bishop, He led me to proclaim God’s Word in Japan and to serve the faithful here.
As I write this, five years have passed since I was sent to Japan. Here, I have met many faithful people, priests, and also those who do not believe, and I have come to feel that God has been guiding me and that we are walking together on God’s path. I am also resolved to continue striving to walk faithfully along the path entrusted to me.
At present, many Korean priests are being sent to Japan and serving as missionary priests. They do so in order to proclaim the Gospel of God under His guidance. Even though we were born in different countries, we live together through the joyful message of the Gospel that God has given us through Jesus. Within that life, we seek to bear much fruit through the Holy Spirit and to bring the fruits of God’s Word to even more people. I, too, will strive together with all of you to bear even more fruit in the grace that God gives us.
Will you not walk with me along the path that Jesus has shown us and led us to follow?
Message from the Associate Priest
"But I have no reason to boast if I preach the gospel, for I cannot help it. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel." (St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:16)
Everyone lives in pursuit of happiness. St. Paul said the above to the new Christians in Corinth. They would be unhappy if they did not preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, preaching the gospel was his greatest happiness and the very meaning of life.
Jesus Christ proclaimed, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), offering guidance and hope to those lost and suffering. He loved the world until His final moments. Over 160 years ago, believers in this Jesus Christ, convinced that He was the path to truth and life, arrived in Hakodate to share the gospel.
In 1859 (Ansei 6), missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missions Society, entrusted by Rome with the revival of missions in Japan, brought the gospel to this area. Later, in 1901 (Meiji 34), Bishop Berlioz purchased a private house located at the current site in what was then Kameda Village. This marked the founding of Kameda Church (now Miyamaecho Church), which became a center for spreading the gospel in the region. Through activities such as medical care, welfare services, and education, the church has reached many people and become well-known.
The church doors are always open, so feel free to visit anytime.
