Japanese style prayer space
I. Inside the Chapel
With only 80 seats, this space is the smallest Chapel in our church. Named after Francis Xavier, the man who introduced Christianity to Japan, the chapel is designed to have a Japanese ambience. So let us discover why this place is a "Japanese space".
① Light
The first thing you see when you step into the chapel is the light shining through the glass wall on the right side. The light first illuminates the water in the pond that is actually connected to the outside pond. The soft rippling pattern reflected from the pond spreads to the walls and ceiling. This beautiful natural stained glass changes its appearance with the season and time of the day, keeping the person stay in his/her seat during prayer.
② Water
The sanctuary has a pond that stretches outside the chapel that can be seen through the glass wall. It has a tranquil appearance reminiscent of the yin and yang of the Orient. Inside the pond, there is a spring that gushes out endlessly and eternally. If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of water flowing from the spring. Well... What is that sound? (Hint: John 4)
The water of life, the living water that springs up forever. Whoever drinks it will never thirst..." The water source looks like a scene from the Gospel of John. On the other hand, it is also said that the water source may have captured the Japanese aesthetic culture of loving the sound of running water like "Shishiodoshi" and "Cyōzubachi"(鹿威し, 手水鉢).
③ The nature of materials
Refer to the image Japanese spirituality dwells in the space of wabi-sabi... The walls are made of simple clay mixed with "straw," the same material used in the national treasure "Taian" built by Sen no Rikyu.
Also, when you enter this space, don't you feel a sense of calmness? There are no straight lines anywhere on the walls of this chapel, and they are surrounded by soft curves, which gives a sense of calmness.
One of the charms of this chapel is that you can concentrate on your prayers while feeling at ease as if you were in your mother's womb.
The Way of the Cross The Way of the Cross is one of the Catholic devotions that strengthens their faith, in which we recall the Passion of Jesus through meditation and prayer.
The Way of the Cross is one of the Catholic devotional practices to meditate and pray in remembrance of the Passion of Jesus. It is made of carved wood by a German Brother.
This Way of the Cross is in accordance with the Bible recommended by St. John Paul II*, and the story of the Way begins with the prayer at Gethsemane.
1st Station: Jesus prays in Gethsemane
2nd Station: Jesus is betrayed and arrested.
3rd Station: Jesus is condemned to death.
4th Station: Jesus is rejected by Peter.
5th Station: Jesus is judged by Pilate.
6th Station: Jesus is insulted and receives a crown of thorns.
7th Station: Jesus carries the cross.
8th Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem
9th Station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross
10th Station: The Thief Jesus Promises Heaven to the Thief
11th Station: Mother Jesus Loves His Mother and His Disciples
12th Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross
13th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb
14th Station: Jesus resurrects
*1: The Way of the Cross can be found in any church sanctuary and is usually told in the style of a painting or sculpture depicting a figure.
ll. Around the entrance of the Xavier Chapel
① The statue on the left of the entrance
This is a gift from Spain, and is displayed on the altar of the main chapel every year on the feast day of July 31.
▶About St. Ignatius
② Holy relic
To the right of the statue, there are relics of the eight saints who founded the Society of Jesus. The relics were placed there with the blessing of Father Artur de Sousa, the Jesuit Superior General, on the 20th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Church in 2019.
Founding Companions of the Jesuits
1.) St. Ignatius de Loyola
2.) St. Francis Xavier
3.) St. Aloysius Gonzaga
4.) St. Francis de Porja
5.) St. Stanislao Kostka
6.) St. Francis de Geronimo
7.) St. Peter Claver
8.) St. John Berchmans
What are relics?
The part of the body of a saint such as hair, nails, bloodstains, etc. Not only that, but anything that the saint used or touched during his life; like clothes, perfumed oils, flowers, and other items.
③ Painting of Xavier's Castle
The picture on the wall to the right of the entrance is a painting of Xavier's Castle. This is the castle where St. Francis Xavier was born and raised. Xavier was born in 1506 at Xavier Castle as the sixth child of the Aspirqueta family in the Basque region of Spain. He later became one of the founding members of the Jesuits and was sent to Japan by St. Ignatius de Loyola.
The route
