Recruiting and training successors
It is no exaggeration to say that Father Cimatti dedicated his entire life to the calling and formation of priests and religious.
In Italy, from his time as a seminary student until the age of 46, he worked as a teacher, principal and rector at the Valsalice College,
where he devoted himself especially to Salesian seminarians.
After coming to Japan, he took responsibility for the Miyazaki region mission, and immediately requested the dispatch of foreign seminarians
and missionaries, and began recruiting applicants for Japanese religious orders.
Father Cimatti believed that while it was fine for foreign missionaries to devote themselves to evangelizing and sowing the seeds of Christianity,
the responsibility for missionary work in Japan had to be borne by the Japanese themselves.
Not only that, but the situation in Japan at the time also encouraged this.
In fact, until 1940, Japan was dominated by a militaristic spirit and there was prejudice against foreign missionaries.
Not only were they monitored,
but even Japanese people who associated with them were looked upon strangely.
Even if they established churches, welfare facilities, and schools in Japan, they were foreigners and did not know when they would be expelled.
Therefore, recruiting and training successors so that the mission of evangelism could be passed on from Japanese to Japanese was crucial to the survival of
the business.
As Provincial Superior, Father Cimatti was responsible for securing the future of the Salesian Society, and as the parish priest of Miyazaki,
he was responsible for defending the priests in charge of each church.
He sent the following message to the missionaries:
"Recent events make it important to recruit and train local people who will help us and work in our place so that we can continue our missionary mission.
The Church needs good priests, good catechists to teach the Gospel, and good members for religious orders.
Prayer, sacrifice, and the witness of life are essential conditions for the vocation of this place."
Order of nuns
The Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians worked in a kindergarten and Oratorio in Miyazaki City for about 10 years.
Before their arrival in Japan, Father Cimatti had been preparing the candidates to become sisters.
He raised and trained the first Japanese sister of the Order, and he was very sad when she left Miyazaki.
In the Miyazaki pastoral area, a relief center was established for the elderly and children without any relatives.
Father Cimatti trained the 30 staff members who worked there, and selected some from that group to start the Caritas Sisters of Miyazaki on August 28, 1937.
Minor seminary
At first, Father Cimatti gave special attention to the minor seminary of the Miyazaki Ministry.
In 1933, he moved it from Nakatsu to Miyazaki City and personally supervised the construction of the building.
There, they recruited elementary school graduates, and at one point there were as many as 48 of them, and taught Latin and religion during the five-year study period.
A family-like atmosphere, serious studies, sports, drama, brass band.
Upon graduation, students were free to choose whether to become priests, religious, or lead ordinary lives.
Even those who were not particularly intelligent were allowed to enter minor seminaries.
"Celebrating Mass is the greatest grace on earth, the greatest apostolate, and the most beautiful sermon," Father Cimatti said.
Father Cimatti was named a "living saint" at the minor seminary.
Well, the minor seminary continued until 1942, but what was the outcome?
19 priests (10 parish priests, 9 religious priests) and 3 monks were included.
In 1939, the first priest in the Miyazaki pastoral area was ordained, and Father Cimatti was so moved that he cried throughout the ordination ceremony and his first Mass.
Cimatti Museum Father Marsilio
October 6, 2022
Go to the index page of Father Cimatti's life
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