Name

Shimoigusa Catholic Church

Dedicated to

St. Mary Help of Christians

Date of Establishment

1949

Parish Priest

John Bosco Toyokatsu  Namiki, S.D.B

Associate Parish Priest

Tadeusz Sobon, S.D.B.

Cooperative Priest

Aloysius Shiro Sakanashi, S.D.B.

Number of Parishioners

2,298 (as of Dec.31,2019)

Sunday Mass (All in Japanese)

Saturday: 6:00 pm　
Sunday: 7:00 am / 9:30 am / 6:00 pm 

Weekday Mass (All in Japanese)

6:30 am
First Friday: 6:30 am / 10:00 am

Sunday School

Please ask directly for information.

Bible Study

Please ask directly for information.

Volunteer Activity

Visiting sick person and taking Holy Communion to them.

Address

2-31-25 Igusa, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 167-0021

Telephone

03-3396-0305

Fax

03-3396-9039

Website

http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/kat-shimoigusa/

Facilities for the Handicapped

Slope (or Barrier free), Toilet

Directions

13 minutes walk from Shimoigusa Sta. or Iogi Sta. on Seibu Shinjuku Line. Or take the bus for Shakujii-Koen from JR Asagaya Sta. to Hachinaribashi stop. 5 minutes walk from the stop. GoogleMap

Parish History

History

In 1948 Archbishop Peter Tatsuo Doi has requested to find a land for the new church at Shimoigusa to Salesian Missionaries and donated US$ 3,000 to them. Salesian Missionaries has chosen Fr.Mantegazza Giovannias the first chaplain and started the new church construction. After the War the small chapel of Ikuei Industrial high school has been used for the church. On 17 of April 1949 of Easter Sunday, the new church has been admitted as the 18th parish of Tokyo Archdiocese and then the date of the establishment of the church became the same. As Fr. Mantegazza Giovanni wished the Patron Saint of the Church was Our Lady of the Helper for the Christians and he had gone back to Italy to get the fund raising. The most of the fund has been prepared by Fr. Mantegazza Giovanni and Salesian Missionaries after the 7 years’ effort. On 21st of October in 1956 the new chapel has been blessed by Archbishop Peter Tatsuo Doi again. Every Sunday the three church bells have rung out, pipe organ, the statue of Our Lady of Immaculate Mary, the alter made of marble have been all donated by カルダノノChurch, at the home town of Fr. Mantegazza Giovanni In 1969 the two churches has become the sisters relation church. His pastoral work has been really great and as missionary serving the church for 34 years as the chaplain. At the beginning there were only 72 parishioners but now they were more than 2300. The regular attendants to the Holy Mass are about 600 people . Fr. Mantegazza Giovanni has been loved by Everybody as their spiritual father and died in May of 1997 after he has retired from pastoral work. His pastoral mission has been took over by Fr. Roncato Adino､ Fr. Carmelo Simoncelli、Fr. Anthony Tsuyoshi Shirieda, Fr.Gaetano Compri, and Fr. Bautista Massa and the teaching of the founder Don Bosco has been kept preciously till now. In 1971 the cooperative society has been settled being a recognized non profit organization by Bishops’ Conference of Japan and it has belonged to Japan Cooperative Society Union to serve as micro credit bank for supporting the life of the needy, In 2006 the 35th anniversary Celebration, cooperative gathering, has been held. In December 1997, our long hoped-for charnel house has been established at Fuchu graveyard. In 1978 The Boy Scouts Tokyo Suginami 11 troop has been born by Fr.Carmelo Simoncelli’s initiative. In 1988 on the occasion of 100 years anniversary of St. Don Bosco’ death Pope John Paul II had visited the place that is remembered in connection with Don Bosco, Torino Cathedral. Shimoigusa Church has been selected as one of the 8 designated churches of memorial pilgrimage for receiving The Full Indulgence in the world. On 30th of May in 1999 the Holy memorial Mass of the 50th anniversary of Shimoigusa Church has been celebrated solemnly by Cardinal Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi.

Present Situation

On the 2000 millennium the church has established 12 activity groups according to the issue on “Lay Apostolate in the church” so that every person can participate actively into the mission of the church. Social Communications group has started up the hope page of the church and took a new step in the view of evangelical mission. The church considered this year as a bridge between the past 50 years and the next 50 years in the journey of the salvation history. Young mothers with babies increase in the community as the growing church.