Father Cimatti as a missionary　　　

The first missionaries in Shanghai at the end of January 1926

　　　He went to his new mission field with a smile on his face.　　　

　In 1925, exactly 50 years after Don Bosco sent out his first group of missionaries in 1875, Pope Pius XI called on the Salesians to carry out missionary work in Japan. Father Cimatti, the principal of Valsalice, was chosen as the head of the new mission in Japan.
　From a young age, he expressed a desire to go to the missions and submitted numerous applications. He had long aspired to become a missionary, but was surprised by the sudden appointment from Blessed Father Filippo Rinaldi. However, he was already mentally prepared. He was 46 years old at the time. He had a good reputation both inside and outside the school, and was well-liked by students and alumni. He saw God's will in the rector's call and gladly accepted it. He was granted a special audience with Pope Pius XI, and, encouraged by the Pope's words, he set off for his new mission field with a smile on his face. Many knew it was a great sacrifice for him, but heroic and humble obedience was also a hallmark of his life.

　　　Bearded students　　　　

　The missionary party of six priests and three monks arrived in Japan on February 8, 1926, after a 42-day voyage, and a week later arrived in Miyazaki, their new mission site.They immediately began studying Japanese and became, as Father Cimatti calls them, "nine students with beards." Just as my beard grew quickly, I wanted to learn Japanese quickly. In May, he decided to preach a novena (nine-day period) to the faithful in honor of Our Lady Help of Christians. Starting with Father Cimatti, everyone wrote a manuscript, and with the help of their teacher, they painstakingly translated it into Japanese, memorized it, and presented it one by one every night. The believers were very surprised and politely said, "Congratulations, that was very nice," but also exclaimed in admiration, "They are strange people who are eloquent speakers inside the church but cannot say a word outside the church."
　Japanese reflects a culture and mentality completely different from that of the West, and is an extremely difficult language for Westerners. A French missionary who has been involved in missionary work in Japan for many years once said, "It's impossible to learn Japanese once you're over 40." Although he was already 46 years old, Father Cimatti did not lose heart. He attended Japanese language classes with others and, despite great difficulty, completed the entire elementary school textbook in one year. Like St. Francis Xavier, he also experienced the humiliation of reverting to childhood and speaking haltingly. He then began working, so his formal studies ended around the fifth grade of elementary school.

　　　We would much rather listen to Father Cimatti.　　　　

　However, Father Cimatti did not only study Japanese for one year; he continued to study until his later years, despite being busy with evangelism and his work as a superior. Young members would watch with admiration as Father Cimatti repeatedly looked up words in the dictionary or reread his elementary school textbooks. However, despite his hard work, he never managed to master Japanese. But people could understand him well and listened to him with pleasure. When he couldn't express himself well, he made up for it with his unique gestures. He spoke from his heart, not his words. The children of Miyazaki said to us young missionaries:
　"You young priests speak Japanese better than Father Cimatti, but we enjoy listening to what he has to say more."
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　"My Days with Father Cimatti" by Renato Tassinari

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　Cimatti Museum
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Father Marsiglio
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　June 6, 2025 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　

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