The message of the Superior General to His Excellency Bishop Edgar Gacutan, to the Bishops, to the civil authorities, to the priests, to the religious, and all the faithful present at the celebration on March 19, 2022.
Today I send my congratulations and best wishes to Msgr. Edgar Gacutan on his episcopal ordination as the new bishop of the Diocese of Sendai.
CICM started our mission in Japan in 1947 in the area beyond Akashi toward the Okayama Prefecture. At that time, Japan was still a developing country, recovering from the ravages of the Second World War and the horrific effects of the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In 2011 a devastating magnitude-9.0 earthquake hit northern Japan. The earthquake spawned a series of tsunamis. I still remember watching on television the news with the dramatic images of people fleeing the tall waves that swept into the coastal areas and claiming with them people, buildings, and all that stood in their path. Among the dioceses in Japan, the Sendai diocese was the hardest hit by the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami.
Through the Japan Bishops’ Conference, the diocese of Sendai asked CICM to send missionaries to help minister to the many migrant workers impacted by the tragedy.
CICM, under the leadership of the then Superior Provincial Edgar Gacutan, responded positively to the request. It was a request entirely in line with CICM mission and charism to go where our presence is most needed. Mgr Edgar himself, after his term as Provincial Superior, worked in the diocese from 2015 to 2017.
I am sure that Fr Edgar had no inkling in 2011 when he responded to the missionary call to send CICM missionaries to Sendai that he would be made shepherd of this diocese ten years later. Our God is indeed a God of surprises!
Today, I gladly send congratulations and good wishes to Msgr. Edgar on the occasion of his ordination as the bishop of the Diocese of Sendai. Unfortunately, due to coronavirus imposed travel restrictions, I regret that I cannot join you personally on this joyous occasion, but we are united in prayer.
Rest assured, Msgr. Edgar, of my prayers for you as you begin your ministry as shepherd of Sendai.
The Diocese of Sendai, like the flock of the other 15 dioceses in Japan, is a diverse diocese that includes many migrant workers from other countries who have come to Japan to make a living. I am sure they will find in you, Msgr. Edgar as an inclusive shepherd.
Msgr. Edgar, our God is a God of surprises, and I am sure that God will continue to spring surprises on you in your ministry as shepherd of Sendai. Some may be pleasant, others may not be as pleasant, and may cause you sleepless nights. However, our loving Father, who calls you today to be his shepherd, will care for you tomorrow and every day.
With my renewed prayerful wishes and in deep communion of heart, please receive, Monsignor and esteemed confrere, my most sincere and profound wishes for a fruitful ministry as Pastor of the Diocese of Sendai.
Sincerely yours in the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
Charles Phukuta, cicm
