Parishes
Tokuden Catholic Church
Name
Tokuden Catholic Church
Dedicated to
St. Vincent de Paul
Date of Establishment
May,1936 (The former Ekoda Church became a parish) September19,1953 (Dedicate the present Tokuden Church)
Parish Priest
Bartholomew Yasuaki Inagawa
Associate Parish Priest
Joseph Masanori Fukuda
Number of Parishioners
855 (as of Dec.31,2019)
Sunday Mass
9:30 am/ 11:30 am
Weekday Mass
6:30 am
First Friday 6:30 am / 11:00 am
Sunday School
Every Sunday (After 10:00 Mass)
Bible Study
Please address inquiries to 03-3991-2101
Volunteer Activity
Group for visiting a person of advanced age living alone. Sign language circle
Address
1-39-1 Toyotama-naka, Nerima-ku, Tokyo 176-0013 Map
Telephone
03-3991-2101
Fax
03-3948-3228
Website
Facilities for the Handicapped
Slope , Toilet
Directions
- Take the Kanto Bus headed for Nakamurabashi from the North Gate bus terminal No.2 of Nakano Station on JR Chuou Line. or Tokyo Metro Tozai Subway Line, and get off the bus at Shimo-Tokudenbashi stop. 2 minute walk from the stop.
- Take the Kanto Bus headed for Ekotanomori from the North Gate bus terminal No. 2 of Nakano Station on JR Chuou Line. or Tokyo Metro Tozai Subway Line, and get off the bus at Tokyo Byouin mae stop. 3 minute walk from the stop.
- Take the Keiou Bus headed for Nanzouin and Nerimaeki from the South Gate bus terminal No.5 of Nakano Station on JR Chuou Line. or Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, and get off the bus at Jofuuenmae stop. 2 minute walk from the stop.
- Take the Keiou Bus headed for Nakanoeki from the North Gate of Nerima Station on Seibu Ikebukuro Line, and get off the bus at Tokuden stop. 2 minute walk from the stop.
- Take Seibu Shinjuku Line and get off at North gate of Numabukuro Station, 15 minutes walk from the stop
- Take Oedo Subway Line and get off at Shin-ekota Station, 10 minutes walk from the Station.
Parish History
History
When we think of the history of Tokuden Church we should not forget about Fr. Joseph Flaujac M.E.P. He had been dispatched by Paris Foreign Mission Society to Japan in1909.At the time when he was the chaplain of Sekiguchi Church, he used to visit the patients at sanatorium of tuberculosis of Tokyo City in Ekota Nakano Ward. Those discharged patients had no way to go after they had been forced to leave the sanatorium. Fr. Flaujac rent a house in Ekota to accommodate them, which actually became the beginning of Jiseikai Hospital and the direct ancestor of the present Tokuden Church at the same time. In 1936 Fr. Flaujac had left Sekiguchi Church and Ekota Church became a parish in May of 1936. By the special efforts of Fr. Flaujac Ekota Church had been changed and newly dedicated as Tokuden Church in July of 1953. He had devoted himself for the better development of Jiseikai Hospital and passed away in 1959.
Environment
In the same big site of Tokuden Church there are the head quarter of Congregation of Sisters of Bethany, Ekota Convent, St Bernadette Convent, Bethany Home under the Social Welfare Corporate of Jisei Kai Group which is a day-care short stay home of the protective institution for dependent, a Care House “Itsukushimi no Ie” , Tokuden Nursery and Nazareth Baby home.
Present Situation
Majority of the parishioners of Tokuden Church live in Nakano Ward and Nerima Ward. The activities of the Church are managed out by monthly committee meeting based upon their discussions. The women’s group ” Maria Kai” and Men’s group “Joseph Kai” play the important role as the stagehands on the bazaar or other big events. The liturgy group and financial group are under the other committees.Another characteristic of the church is a cooperative relationship with Congregation of Sisters of Bethany. We can not talk about the present Tokuden Church without this mutual trusted relationship.After Fr. Flaujac had left Fr. Emilien Milcent M.E.P. had succeeded his mission and lived here for more than 40 years and supported both the Church and the Sisters with his dedicated spirit of the Mission.In 1994 he retired and then continued to support the Sisters and people as their spiritual director He had past away in 2002. The other big supporters are Missionary Sisters of St. Joseph of Osaka. These two Missionary Sisters of St. Joseph of Osaka and Congregation of Sisters of Bethany pray every morning at the Mass which have given their potential power to Tokuden Church.
