Beatification movement
● Prayer for beatification
● Investigation progress
● Through intercession…
● Mass on the 6th of every month
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● Prayer for beatification
● Investigation progress
● Through intercession…
● Mass on the 6th of every month
● To the title page
● Back to Top
Investigation progress
Collecting information
Beatification research first requires the collection of documents and then the testimony of living witnesses who were involved with the person. In the case of Father Cimatti, because he was active widely, it was necessary to gather information in both Japan and Italy. The person who took on this task was Father A. Crevacore, who was the rector of the Salesian Seminary for the last three years of his reign. He was in charge of the beatification movement until he was called to God on December 28, 1995.
950 compositions and 5,700 letters
As I began my work, I was astonished at the sheer number of materials I had gathered: Father Cimatti's writings, books and articles, compositions from various places, letters from people, and the numerous specimens of fossils, minerals, shells and plants that my master had collected and organized, all of which testified to the breadth of his activities and interests.
Currently, the museum has a collection of around 950 compositions, including 49 operettas, 19 masses, 83 Tantum ergos for the Eucharistic hymn, around 200 songs to celebrate Mary, and around 400 compositions in Japanese.
These compositions were classified and organized by the musician Ino Savini, also from Faenza, and his student Roberto Bosco.
The total number of letters exceeds 5,700. Most of them are in Italian. The Japanese letters are written in Roman letters as a rule, but during the war, when surveillance was strict, some were written in Katakana.
New letters are still being sent. The fact that so many have been preserved is evidence of the respect that Father Cimatti had among his recipients.
These letters are a unique and valuable source of information for understanding the heart and spirituality of our Master. Work is currently underway to translate those letters related to Japan.
Collecting testimonies
The testimony of living witnesses is essential to beatification investigations. Many of these are voluntary testimonies, but there are also official testimonies given before investigative committees appointed by the bishops of Tokyo and Turin. Through these, we can learn about previously unknown anecdotes about Father Cimatti and even the finer details of his life. As the testimonies were obtained within 10 years of his death, their credibility is high.
Survey Ended
The Tokyo Archdiocese's investigation officially began on November 26, 1976. It ended on January 24, 1978. On that day, Archbishop Shirayanagi Seiichi and the investigation committee, along with many priests, Salesians and sisters, attended the ceremony held at the Salesian Seminary Chapel in Chofu, and 50 volumes of compiled materials were sent to the investigation committee in Rome.
The investigation in the Diocese of Turin was completed on June 3, 1978.
The decision was then awaited from a Pope-appointed investigative committee.
The body was not decomposed
Church law requires that before the investigation is completed, an autopsy must be carried out in the presence of the bishop, an investigative committee and a team of doctors.
In the case of Father Cimatti, the coffin was opened and the autopsy carried out in the crypt of the Salesian Seminary in Chofu on November 18, 1977. Everyone present was astonished. The records of the two doctors state:
"The body is not in a mummified state, nor is it in a waxy state, nor has it turned to a skeleton. The entire body is slightly moist. There is no odor of death, but there is a particular smell. The skin is elastic...the soft tissue is flexible and elastic...the joints are passively movable to a nearly normal range.... Taking all of these findings together, we would like to admit that, based on our medical common sense, it is impossible to explain the state of a body that has been dead for 12 years."
The body was dressed in new clothes and placed in a new sarcophagus.
Museum construction
On September 2, 1983, the Cimatti Museum was completed on the grounds of the Salesian Seminary to honor Father Cimatti's virtues and to preserve and study his materials. This was made possible through the efforts of Father A. Crevacole, who was in charge of the beatification investigation. In the entrance of the two-story building stands a bust of Father Cimatti by Biancini, a gift from his hometown, the city of Faenza, and in the windows are stained glass windows by G. Gaeta depicting his teacher and his meeting with Don Bosco.
"Venerable" Father Cimatti
On December 21, 1991, following the conclusion of the beatification investigation held in Rome, Pope John Paul II bestowed upon Father Cimatti the title of "Venerable", meaning that he is eligible for sainthood. A member of the investigation committee testified: "In Father Cimatti we see one of the most magnificent examples of saintliness of the 20th century."
Now, we are waiting for a miracle through his intercession so that he can be beatified. We are offering our prayers for this.
The memory of a saint always lives on in people's hearts. This is also the case with Father Cimatti, who was called "Japan's Don Bosco."
For this reason, after his death, there was a strong demand, especially in Italy and Japan, to begin an investigation into his beatification and canonization.
When the new chapel of the Salesian Seminary in Chofu was completed on October 4, 1967, Father Cimatti's body was moved from the Fuchu Catholic Cemetery to the crypt without opening his coffin.
Collecting information
Beatification research first requires the collection of documents and then the testimony of living witnesses who were involved with the person. In the case of Father Cimatti, because he was active widely, it was necessary to gather information in both Japan and Italy. The person who took on this task was Father A. Crevacore, who was the rector of the Salesian Seminary for the last three years of his reign. He was in charge of the beatification movement until he was called to God on December 28, 1995.
950 compositions and 5,700 letters
As I began my work, I was astonished at the sheer number of materials I had gathered: Father Cimatti's writings, books and articles, compositions from various places, letters from people, and the numerous specimens of fossils, minerals, shells and plants that my master had collected and organized, all of which testified to the breadth of his activities and interests.
Currently, the museum has a collection of around 950 compositions, including 49 operettas, 19 masses, 83 Tantum ergos for the Eucharistic hymn, around 200 songs to celebrate Mary, and around 400 compositions in Japanese.
These compositions were classified and organized by the musician Ino Savini, also from Faenza, and his student Roberto Bosco.
The total number of letters exceeds 5,700. Most of them are in Italian. The Japanese letters are written in Roman letters as a rule, but during the war, when surveillance was strict, some were written in Katakana.
New letters are still being sent. The fact that so many have been preserved is evidence of the respect that Father Cimatti had among his recipients.
These letters are a unique and valuable source of information for understanding the heart and spirituality of our Master. Work is currently underway to translate those letters related to Japan.
Collecting testimonies
The testimony of living witnesses is essential to beatification investigations. Many of these are voluntary testimonies, but there are also official testimonies given before investigative committees appointed by the bishops of Tokyo and Turin. Through these, we can learn about previously unknown anecdotes about Father Cimatti and even the finer details of his life. As the testimonies were obtained within 10 years of his death, their credibility is high.
Survey Ended
The Tokyo Archdiocese's investigation officially began on November 26, 1976. It ended on January 24, 1978. On that day, Archbishop Shirayanagi Seiichi and the investigation committee, along with many priests, Salesians and sisters, attended the ceremony held at the Salesian Seminary Chapel in Chofu, and 50 volumes of compiled materials were sent to the investigation committee in Rome.
The investigation in the Diocese of Turin was completed on June 3, 1978.
The decision was then awaited from a Pope-appointed investigative committee.
The body was not decomposed
Church law requires that before the investigation is completed, an autopsy must be carried out in the presence of the bishop, an investigative committee and a team of doctors.
In the case of Father Cimatti, the coffin was opened and the autopsy carried out in the crypt of the Salesian Seminary in Chofu on November 18, 1977. Everyone present was astonished. The records of the two doctors state:
"The body is not in a mummified state, nor is it in a waxy state, nor has it turned to a skeleton. The entire body is slightly moist. There is no odor of death, but there is a particular smell. The skin is elastic...the soft tissue is flexible and elastic...the joints are passively movable to a nearly normal range.... Taking all of these findings together, we would like to admit that, based on our medical common sense, it is impossible to explain the state of a body that has been dead for 12 years."
The body was dressed in new clothes and placed in a new sarcophagus.
Museum construction
On September 2, 1983, the Cimatti Museum was completed on the grounds of the Salesian Seminary to honor Father Cimatti's virtues and to preserve and study his materials. This was made possible through the efforts of Father A. Crevacole, who was in charge of the beatification investigation. In the entrance of the two-story building stands a bust of Father Cimatti by Biancini, a gift from his hometown, the city of Faenza, and in the windows are stained glass windows by G. Gaeta depicting his teacher and his meeting with Don Bosco.
"Venerable" Father Cimatti
On December 21, 1991, following the conclusion of the beatification investigation held in Rome, Pope John Paul II bestowed upon Father Cimatti the title of "Venerable", meaning that he is eligible for sainthood. A member of the investigation committee testified: "In Father Cimatti we see one of the most magnificent examples of saintliness of the 20th century."
Now, we are waiting for a miracle through his intercession so that he can be beatified. We are offering our prayers for this.
| Speech by Cardinal Seiichi Shirayanagi I believe that Father Cimatti truly lived the spirit of Don Bosco. He was very active in his work and had great judgment. But at the core of it all was that he was a man of prayer. His prayer left an impression on many people. I have seen him pray. Modern society is in need of holy people. This is especially true for the Church. The Church needs to bear witness to God's love not only through words, but also through the way we live our lives. In that sense, Father Cimatti was truly a saint. For this reason, I sincerely hope that he will be beatified as soon as possible. For this reason, if you receive a special grace or a miracle occurs as a result of praying for Father Cimatti's intercession, I believe that reporting this to the relevant parties may speed up Father Cimatti's beatification. (From the video "Father Cimatti, who loved music, nature and Japan") |