Birthdays, Vows, Ordinations and Arrivals Anniversaries
[Delegation Oblates of Mary Immaculate working in Japan and Korea. Men from many different countries and cultures come together and form one delegation which is part of the Sri Lanka Colombo Province. Their missionary work covers two countries: Japan and Korea.]
[Updated Spring 2012]
| Name | Birthday | Final Vows | Ordination | Arrival | ||
| ANTHONYSWAMY, Varam (IN) | 05/02/1969 | 12/09/1997 | 07/21/1998 | 02/24/2000-Korea | ||
| ANTONYSAMY, Iru (IN) | 09/12/1970 | 10/28/2001 | 12/03/2002 | 08/30/2004-Japan | ||
| BORDO, Vincenzo (IT) | 02/21/1957 | 12/08/1986 | 04/25/1987 | 05/12/1990-Korea | ||
| BOURGOIN, Ray (USA) | 01/22/1938 | 09/08/1961 | 03/19/1966 | 09/30/1961-Japan | ||
| DEELY, Jack (USA) | 04/17/1941 | 09/08/1965 | 04/11/1970 | 09/23/1965-Japan | ||
| FURUKAWA, Ken-ichi (JP) | 10/05/1973 | 10/05/2005 | 02/17/2007 | (Japanese)-Japan | ||
| GIORGIANNI, Maurizio (IT) | 02/13/1963 | 12/08/1990 | 10/19/1991 | 01/05/1993-Korea | ||
| HAHN, Fran (USA) | 09/22/1943 | 09/08/1967 | 04/29/1972 | 09/16/1967-Japan | ||
| HONG, Pedro (KR) | Scholastic | (Korean) -Korea | ||||
| HONG, Samuel (KR) | Scholastic | (Korean) -Korea | ||||
| INDIKA, Hiran (LK) | 01/30/1979 | 09/24/2006 | 09/15/2007 | 02/08/2010-Japan | ||
| INUI, Len (JP) | 02/15/1935 | 09/08/1961 | 06/14/1964 | (Japanese)-Japan | ||
| IWO, John (JP) | 09/06/1930 | 09/08/1963 | 06/14/1964 | (Japanese)-Japan | ||
| JAE, Joseph (KR) | Scholastic | |||||
| JEYACHANDRAN, James (LK) | 09/17/1967 | 09/28/1992 | 01/15/1994 | 04/29/1996-Korea | ||
| KIM, Simeon (KR) | Scholastic | (Korean) -Korea | ||||
| LAGUIDAO, Wency (PH) | 04/22/1949 | 06/24/1975 | 03/27/1976 | 10/25/1976-Japan | ||
| MAHER, Bill (USA) | 03/23/1938 | 09/08/1963 | 04/26/1967 | 09/25/1963-Japan | ||
| MAHER, Tom (USA) | 05/29/1931 | 09/08/1955 | 05/30/1957 | 09/17/1958-Japan | ||
| NIRMALARAJAN, Christy (LK) | 06/28/1980 | 07/17/2010 | 12/14/2010 | 08/25/2011-Japan | ||
| NOVOTNY, Jerry (USA) | 03/01/1940 | 09/08/1964 | 04/04/1968 | 09/15/1964-Japan | ||
| OLIVEIRA, Gen (BR) | 08/14/1973 | 05/21/2000 | 05/05/2001 | 05/14/2001-Japan | ||
| ONDAP, Bernard (PH) | 08/19/1980 | 04/03/2008 | 11/30/2010 | 02/23/2006-Japan | ||
| PEIRISPULLE, Jude (LK) | 09/17/1964 | 09/28/1991 | 08/22/1992 | 09/02/1994-Japan | ||
| ROBINSON, Robert (LK) | 05/30/1978 | 07/17/2010 | 12/14/2010 | 08/25/2011-Japan | ||
| ROZAIRO, Brad (LK) | 10/30/1964 | 09/28/1991 | 08/22/1992 | 09/02/1994-Japan | ||
| RYU HI GU, Anselmo (KR) | 03/24/1969 | 02/02/2008 | 08/17/2008 | (Korean) -Korea | ||
| SANTOS, Eduardo (BR) | 12/15/1970 | 02/04/2007 | 09/15/2007 | 01/18/2008-Japan | ||
| SILVER, Bert (USA) | 08/31/1928 | 09/08/1952 | 06/30/1954 | 09/11/1954-Japan | ||
| SHITOL, Nokrek (BD) | 12/12/1976 | 04/17/2009 | 02/05/2011 | 04/15/2006 | ||
| WILLIAMS, Ed (USA) | 01/02/1930 | 09/08/1955 | 06/07/1957 | 09/17/1958-Japan | ||
| YAGI, Nobu (JP) | 08/04/1960 | 08/04/1991 | (Brother) | (Japanese)-Japan | ||
| YAMASAKI, Mike (JP) | 12/24/1934 | 09/08/1961 | 06/24/1962 | (Japanese)-Japan | ||
| ZEVOLA, Giovanni (IT) | 06/24/1931 | 12/08/1989 | 09/08/1990 | 09/04/1991-Korea | ||
Death Anniversaries
[compiled and written by Fr. Bertram Silver, OMI]
1. Rev. Robert Gill, OMI – (Japan: 1948-1969)
Previous to his assignment to Japan Father Gill was Superior of the Junior Seminary in Buffalo New York. Upon his assignment as Superior of the Major Seminary in Washington,D.C. he volunteered for the newly established mission of Japan. With two other Oblates he arrived in Japan in 1948 as the Superior of the Oblate Fathers Mission in Japan. During the years that he was superior he was able to purchase land for future missions and built several missions plus the residence for Oblate seminarians in Tokyo. He was asked to be the Mission Procurator when Fr.Silver was provincial. His grave is at the Oblate Cemetery in Tewksbury,Ma.
2. Rev. Charles McBennett, OMI – (Japan:1948-1955)
Father McBennett was one of the first three Oblates to arrive in Japan in 1948. After finishing the basics of the Japanese language he was appointed as Pastor of the Mission in Itami City. In 1955 he returned to the United States to the Retirement Home in Tewksbury, Mass.
3. Rev. Leonard Robitaille, OMI – (Japan:1948-1979)
Father Robitaille was also one of the first Oblates to arrive in Japan. As he was not a member of the Eastern American Province he automatically became a member. Upon his arrival in Japan he was asked to be the mission treasurer and fulfilled that position for many years. He was noted for his interest in promoting vocations to the Priesthood and to the Sisters. In 1979 he was assigned to a small mission Sanmbon Matsu. It was here that he thought he had a minor heart attack and was taken to the Sisters Hospital in Kobe. There it was diagnosed not as a heart attack but a rare nerve disease, Gulanbarre. He became paralyzed from his feet to his throat. Gradually he lost his speech and died at the City Hospital in Kobe. His remains are at the Tokushima Church.
4. Rev. Timothy Mulvery, OMI – (Japan:1949-1955)
Father was one of the three Oblates to arrive in Japan in 1949. After a very successful ministry in the States as missionary and author he joined the other Oblates in Japan. After a few years of language preparation he served in small missions until his health require that he return to the States where he died and is buried at the Oblate Cemetery in Tewksbury, Ma.
5. Rev. Nicholas Neville, OMI – (Japan:1951-1965)
After corresponding with the first Oblates in Japan, Father Neville asked to be assigned to Japan. After completing his language studies he served for several years in the missions of Kochi and Fukuoka. Although he was very successful with the youth and elderly he chose to return to the States.
6. Rev. John Otto Meyer, OMI – (Japan:1953-1967)
After finishing his language studies in Tokyo he was assigned to the parish and school at the mission of Itami near Osaka City. Before returning to the States he was in charge of the Oblate House of Studies in Tokyo. Due to a sickness in his family he left the Oblates and became a Diocesan priest in Philadelphia.
7. Bro. Sueho Tsuda, OMI – (Japan:1953-1981)
Before entering the Oblates Brother was an artist and during the War he was in Naruto as the only Catholic. Physically handicapped, with only one eye and one leg he gathered several Japanese in an art class and introduced them to Catholicism. They became the nucleus of the Naruto Mission. After his novitiate in Aki he was encouraged to continue his painting and had several Exhibits. This led to his name being recognized in the art circles of Japan. His last days were spent in the mission of Naruto. It was then that he came down with cancer and died in the City Hospital of Kobe. His remains are in the Oblate Cemetery in Kochi.
8. Rev. Daniel Ward, OMI – (1955-1975)
Upon arriving in Japan he did his language studies at the Fransican Fathers Language school for Missionaries. Father was noted for his grasp of the Japanese language. When he was a missionary in Kochi Prefecture he utilized his art talents to create statues of our Blessed Mother and of Our Lord, plus the Stations of the Cross which are in the Church in Kochi. Due to a heart condition he returned to the United States and received treatments at the Military Hospital in the Boston area. While being treated he suffered a major heart attack. His funeral was at the Oblate Residence in Tewsbury where his grave is.
9. Rev. Gerard Stevens, OMI – (Japan 1956-1996)
Father was originally from the Belgium Province and volunteered for the mission of Japan. From the beginning of his missionary apostolate he was dedicated to the outcasts in the Japanese society. When he was in the mission in Ikeda he walked in the mountain areas distributing pamphlets about Christianity and worked with the children in those areas. He was admitted to the local hospital for high blood pressure and as a result he suddenly died. His remains are in the Kochi Cemetery.
10. Rev. Leonard Scannell, OMI – (Japan)
Outside of the fact that Father was one of the first missionaries to the Japanese Mission very little is known. He was only on the mission a few months when he returned to the States.
11. Rev. Patrick Brady, OMI – (Japan:1951-1968)
Father Brady succeeded Father Gill as Superior of the Japanese Mission). Shortly after finishing his language studies he was appointed to the mission of Tokushima. He was the only missionary in the Prefecture and his travels took him to many outlying areas of the prefecture. He was transferred to the mission in Aki, Kochi Prefecture. It was his choice to return to the United States to continue his pastoral ministry. His remains are at the Oblate Cemetery in Tewksbury,
12. Rev Edward Lowney, OMI – (Japan 1956-1975)
Assigned to the mission of Tokushima after his two years of language study. A very outstanding missionary and dedicated to the pastoral apostolate in the area. During that time his diabetes became a serious problem. As it was uncontrollable he was taken back to the United States to the Oblate Infirmary in Tewksbury where he died. He was buried at the Oblate Cemetery in Tewksbuty.
13. Rev. Donald O’Brien, OMI – (Japan 1965-1967)
After finishing his Japanese language course he decided to return to the United States.
14. Rev. John Barrett, OMI – (Japan:1952-1972)
One of the first missionaries to finish the Japanese Language projects at the Franciscan Father Language School in Tokyo. He served as a missionary in the parish of Kochi and Fukuoka. He was interested in Communication as an apostolate and as there was no possibility of this apostolate he decided to return to the States. After a few years he joined the Diocese of Worcester and died there.
15. Rev. Leo Simons, OMI – (Japan:1955-2008)
Father Simons was ordained in Belgium and was due to go to the Oblate Missions in Africa when his obedience was changed to the mission of Japan. After he finished his two years of language study he received his obedience to Kochi. He also was the director of the school in Koga, Fukuoka. While there he encouraged Brother Tsuda to have an art exhibit in Fukuoka. After finishing in Koga he returned to Kochi where he remained until he died. In Kochi he was interested in social work and established the Social Center at the parish of Enoguchi in Kochi. When he was in Akaoka he set up the facilities there for Battered Women. Due to poor health and an extremely dangerous operation he died in the hospital. His grave is in Kochi at the Catholic Cemetery.
16. Rev. Xavier Delporte, OMI – (Japan:1955-2011)
Ordained in Belgium and upon arrival in Japan began his two years of Japanese Language. Upon finishing his studies Father went to the Prefecture of Kochi where he remained until he died in 2011. His missionary apostolate was with pastoral work, social work, and educational work. In order to become more adapted to Japan he chose to take out Japanese Citizenship with the name of Yoshikazu Tosa. Instead of living in the rectory he chose to live in an ordinary home that he rented. It was there that he met his death. After his wake and funeral at the Church in Kochi, his ashes were buried at the Catholic Cemetery in Kochi.
17. Rev. John Kenney Mahoney, OMI – (Japan:1955-2011)
After finishing language studies in Tokyo Father served in various sections of the mission. Itami, Kochi, Anan. While he was in Kochi he was appointed Superior of the Mission. It was in his time that the mission of Korea began. Finishing his term as superior he took a sabbatical in the United States. Upon his return to Japan he came down with a paralysis condition while in Koga which resulted in his having to return to the States. He chose the Oblate Retirement Home in San Antonio. It was there that in 2011 he died. He is buried at the Oblate Cemetery in Tewksbury, MA.
18. Rev. Angelo Siani, OMI – (Japan:1965-2011)
Father’s first assignment after language school was to the mission of Naruto where he served as assistant and for years taught at two of the Colleges in the area and spent much time at the mission station attached to Naruto. After being in Kochi for two years he was appointed as Superior for his first term. In 1986 he took sabbatical to St.Louis in the States for a year. Upon his return he was in charge of the scholastics in Nagoya and in 1992 was appointed for his second term as mission superior. He was director of the school and pastor of the mission of Naruto. After this he went to the parish and school in Koga. This was when he began his third term as mission superior. In the meantime he found out that he had spinal cancer and he returned to the States for several years of treatment. In 2011 he died in Buffalo and his remains were brought back to Japan and they are in the Chapel of the Naruto Mission.