MASS INFORMATION
- SUNDAY MASS
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09:30Japanese（every Sunday）
15:00Portuguese（1st and 3rd Sunday of the month）
19:00Japanese（every Saturday）
- WEEKDAY MASS
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09:30Japanese（every Wednesday only）
* Other weekday masses are offered upon request
- SOLEMNITIES MASS
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Obligatory solemnities (Christmas, Easter, etc) Mass：to be announced separately.
Non-obligatory solemnities (The Annunciation, St Joseph, etc.) Mass:19:00
WHAT IS MASS
The Mass is the most important ceremony in the Catholic Church, which includes all kinds of prayers. The origin of every Mass is in the "Last Supper" that Christ shared with His disciples.
At that time, Jesus promised to pour out God's infinite love to the world to save all people by offering his life on the Cross. As a sign of this, Jesus took bread and wine, gave it to his disciples, and said, "This is my Body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 20:19-20). As Christ wished, the Church repeats the "Last Supper" at every Mass throughout the ages to commemorate Christ's Death and Resurrection.
The word "Mass" means "Sending." During Mass, believers purify their hearts and receive the Word of God written in the Bible and the "Body of Christ (consecrated bread)" to become one with God to witness about His salvation in the world.
PARISH PASTOR Fr. ZIEBURA EUGENIUSZ
Ziebura Eugeniusz
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY
Born in Poland on March 25, 1957,
Joined the Society of the Divine Word, in 1976
Arrived in Japan (Nagoya), in 1980
Studied Theology at Nanzan University, since 1982
Obtained the Master degree with Pontifical Licentiate in Doctrinal Theology, in 1987
Ordained to the Priesthood, in 1987
Sent to Nagasaki Nanzan Junior and Senior High School as a teacher, since 1987
Sent to Tokyo Kichijoji Church as an Assistant Priest, since 1990
Sent to Nagasaki Nishimachi Church as an Assistant Priest
and to Nagasaki Nanzan Elementary School as a teacher, since 1994
Sent to Nagoya Nanzan Church as a Pastor, since 2000
Sent to Nagasaki Nishimachi Church as a Pastor,
as well as II Nagasaki Nanzan Schools chairman and Kindergarten Director, since 2008
Appointed as the Provincial Superior of Japan Province SVD in 2017
Sent to Handa Church as a Pastor, since 2023 (current)
THE GREETINGS FROM PARISH PASTOR Fr. ZIEBURA
t is a great honor to assume my post as parish pastor amidst the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Handa parish in 2023. Exactly 50 years ago, a great missionary of the Society of the Divine Word, Fr. Bertelsbeck-Hermann, took on the founding of Handa Church. The Parish was established in 1973 and he became the first pastor.
Now, Handa Church has been walking the path of faith for a half century and about to step into the next half century toward our 100th anniversary. The world is becoming increasingly globalized and Handa Church is also facing great challenges of different races believers and multiculturality. The world is becoming more secular, distorting the truth and relativizing values. Many people are turning away from faith, and following such trends like as materialism and selfishness. I believe that it is the time when God wants a church to be a "sign" to the modern society and sends us all to fulfill a great mission of witnessing to the Truth.
God teaches us in the Paul's Letter to Ephesian Chapter 2: "Christ came to bring the good news of peace, peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near at hand. So you are no longer strangers or visitors; you are a part of the building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus for its main cornerstone.”
We are building the "Kingdom of God", so I believe that it is an important duty for each of us to make the Handa Church Community our own family for people of all nationalities. Then we all can grow as children of God. I'm happy to become a member of the family and I fulfill a mission-pastoral ministry of nourishing this community with the Holy Sacraments and the Word of God. I ask for your prayers and cooperation so that I may make it come true
BRIEF HISTORY OF HANDA CHURCH
A movement to establish a new parish in Handa-city started in 1957 and the plot for the church buildings was selected. However, an application for establishment was submitted to the Nagoya Diocese only in 1971. The Divine Word missionary、Fr. -Hermann Bertelsbeck acquired the site in September 1972 and in 1973 the parish was granted permission from the Nagoya Diocese bishop to be established.
The 99 believers together with Fr. Hermann, the first Pastor, built a Rectory and Parish Hall, where Holy Masses were celebrated. On the 100th anniversary of founding the Society of the Divine Word in 1975, the founder Fr. Arnold Janssen and the first SVD missionary to China Fr. Joseph Freinademetz were beatified in Rome. On this occasion, the Handa Church chose Fr. Jozef to become their patron. The Church Chapel was built and consecrated in 1982.
The second pastor of the church, Fr. Katsufumi Moriyama (SVD), took up his post in 1984. He established the Church Management Committee. In 1996, Fr. Yoshimi Tanigawa (SVD) became the third pastor of the church. He erected the statue of the Virgin Mary in the churchyard where blessing ceremony took place in 1997.
After, an Indonesian missionary Fr. Ngaji Edelbertus (SVD) started his mission as the Pastor in 2002. Since this year “Portuguese Mass”for Brasilian community has started. The Patron of Church, Fr. Joseph Freinademetz, together with the SVD Founder Fr. Arnold Janssen, were canonized together on 5th October 2003 which was also a big celebration in the parish. In the next year the statue of St. Joseph Frenademetz was installed in the main Chapel.
The subsequent parish priests took up their pastor posts as follows: Fr. Yoshimi Tanigawa since 2008, Fr. Yohannes Schubert since 2012, Fr. Fransiskus Moruk since 2015, Fr. Motoi Takeya since 2017, Fr. Eugeniusz Ziebura since 2023.
FAITH EDUCATION
SUNDAY SCHOOL
1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 10:45
Targeted at elementary school students
OLD TESTAMENT LECTURES
1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, 14:00.
FIRST COMMUNION CLASSES
２nd Sunday of each month, 10:45.
Targeted at elementary school students of the second grade and above.
This also applies to unbaptized children of catholic families.
BIBLE SHARING
４th Sunday of each month, 10:45
Targeted at high school students and adult.
PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM OF ADULTS
If anyone wants to be baptized, please consult the parish priest.
Preparation for baptism takes about a year.
During that time, you will be required to attend Sunday Mass, pray every day, and study the contents of the Catholic faith in catechesis classes.
PREPARATION FOR BAPTISM OF INFANTS
Infant baptism is for children between the ages of 0 up to 6.
There is an obligation to attend three designated lectures for parents and god parents.
The date and time of the lectures will be decided in consultation with a priest.
PREPARATION FOR THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
The sacrament of confirmation is administered by a bishop. It is a sacred ceremony in which believers receive the grace of the Holy Spirit in order to take responsibility for their own faith and receive the mission of bearing witness to Christ.
The sacrament is for believers who are 12 years of old or more, and for those who have been baptized at least one year before.
The date and time of the lectures will be decided in consultation with a priest.
PREPARATION FOR WEDDING
Conditions
- It must be the first marriage for both of them.
- Both must complete administrative procedures at Handa Church office.
- Interview with the pastor of Handa Church is necessary
- There is an obligation to attend three designated lectures.
The date and time of the lectures will be decided in consultation with a priest.
* At Catholic Handa Church, even if the bride and groom are not catholics, they can hold a wedding ceremony if they meet the above four conditions.
