Activities of the Brothers in the Nagasaki Project:
The proposal to host the new mission was accepted by the
Franciscan Province of Japan and requested the collaboration
of the OFM East Asian Conference. The Project began in 2018
with two members, Francis Furusato, OFM (Japan) and Anthony
Kim, OFM (Korea). Later in 2020, another two brothers joined the
Nagasaki Project: Berardo Yang, OFM (China) and Alberto Marfil,
OFM (Philippines).
At present, there are three Friar-staffs of the Nagasaki Project:
Francis Furusato, OFM, Berardo Yang, OFM, and Alberto Marfil,
OFM. Anthony Kim, OFM left the Nagasaki Project in 2020 for
his new assignment as a formator in the Franciscan Province of
Japan. Aside from the three brothers serving directly as staff for
the Nagasaki Project, there are other five Friar-support members.
1. Solidarity presence and participation in the annual commemoration of the atomic bombing at Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9) as an expression of support for peace and abolition of nuclear weapons.
2. During the pandemic years, online participation for updates and prayer for peaceful negotiation and reconciliation among countries: Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Russia, China, and Taiwan.
3. Part of pilgrimage education, the brothers visited pilgrimage sites and museums to learn about the history, significance, and spirituality of the places; above all to pray with the people who live there.
4. We housed and guided visiting friars, local and foreign, lay and religious, on their Peace pilgrimage in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. By sharing with the pilgrims, the experiences of the people who suffered the tragic event and the effects of the atomic bombing on their lives, we appeal and invite them to take part in the peace advocacy. Another theme of pilgrimage is to trace the footsteps of the Twenty-six Martyrs – San Pedro Bautista, Paul Miki and Companions from Kyoto, Osaka to Nagasaki, learning from the early missionaries on their mission experience, approach, and method of evangelization. Pilgrims have the opportunity to visit some of the sacred places who have witnessed the courageous faith and fidelity of the hidden Christians in 16 th –19 th centuries in Nagasaki and Hirado.
5. We post short articles on Nagasaki Franciscan's Facebook on some activities undertaken by the brothers in the Nagasaki Project. We further venture to put up a website for the Nagasaki Peace Community to be launched in the last week of February 2024
6. We also had articles about the Nagasaki Project published in Ja pan Catholic Newspaper, OFM-JPIC Media website, OFM General Curia Communication Office, OFM Fraternitas International Bulle tin, and on its way to be published in L’Osservatore Romano, and a 3-minute video about Nagasaki Peace Community was shown at the International Meeting of Human Fraternity at St. Peter’s Square Vatican City, Rome last June 10, 2023.
7. The Nagasaki Community was visited by Bro. John Wong, OFM, General Definitor for Asia-Oceania last August 5-8, 2023. The purpose of the visit was to make a follow-up on the progress of the Nagasaki
8. Project. The brothers were given reflection questions for sharing to further clarify the concept, message, and objects of the Project; its program, and collective activities; as well as its members. It was the intention of the visit to assist the brothers in setting the future direction of the Project.
9. Furthermore, since the International Community in Nagasaki is a Peace community whose basic concept is to work for the promotion of lasting peace, should, therefore, work in close collaboration with Japan Province JPIC, East Asia Conference JPIC, and General Curia JPIC office