On May 10, 2026, the Sixth Sunday of Easter, at the Church of St. Alphonsus, adjacent to the Redemptorist headquarters in Tokyo, a memorandum of Agreement was signed during the 10:00 AM Mass, presided over by Fr. Takeshi Inoue, the Vice-Provincial Superior, with the presence of Fr. Rogerio Gomes, the Superior General of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. Fr. Joseph Truong, a member of the Extra Patriam Vice-Province, joined the International Community.
Fr. Dominic, the Extra Patriam Vice-Provincial Superior, also travelled from Los Angeles to attend and sign the agreement.
Fr. Joe visited Tokyo last December for Christmas, where he celebrated a Mass for Vietnamese (approximately 600 people) at the Jesuit St. Ignatius Church, attended the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and participated in the New Year’s Mass at the Salesian Chofu Church, deepening his connections with young Vietnamese people in Japan. Feeling a sense of accomplishment in his pastoral work, he secretly decided to join the International Community.
His participation in the International Community coincided with the Superior General’s fraternal visit to Japan, making it a truly memorable and special day. With his participation, the International Community now has a total of three members (the other two being Fr. Clement Lee from the Singapore-Malaysia Vice-Province and Father Rodrigo Velez from the Peter Donders Province). Together with Supervisor Fr. Sebastian and Superior Father Francis Xavier Hagiwara, this brings the total to five. He will join them, who are currently studying Japanese, and begin learning the language. The International Community in Japan is actively recruiting members continuously. Members interested in Christian missionary work in Japan should contact Fr. Takeshi Inoue, the Vice Province Superior. His email address is frtakeshi@me.com.
This missionary endeavor was decided at the 26th General Chapter, and all associate provincial members believe that results will not be immediate, but that continuous and persistent effort will yield good results. Under the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the blessings of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Saint Gerald, the pilgrimage of hope in search of the lost sheep has just begun.
Fr. Takeshi Inoue, CSsR.
