Kobe Central Catholic Church
of the Holy Spirit
“Love one another as I have loved you.”
Tel: 078-221-4682 Fax: 078-221-4684
Email: kobeCatholicChurch@gmail.com
Information on Faith Formation Courses
and other gatherings
Main Events
| January ・ New Year’s Day | Feast Day of Mary, Mother of God World Peace Day Requiem to the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake |
| March ~ April | Ash Wednesday Lenten Season (Palm Sunday & Holy Week) - Baptism & Easter Vigil Easter Sunday Mass |
| May ~ June | Japan Catholic “Ten Days for Peace” Celebrations Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass |
| August | Pentecost Sunday |
| October | Charity Bazaar |
| November | “Shichi-go-san” Blessing Advent |
| Late November ~ December | Caroling in Kobe (Kobe ‘Shimin’ Christmas) December 24th, Christmas Eve Mass December 25th, Christmas Day Mass December 31st, Midnight Mass (for the New Year) |
| May ~ June | Japan Catholic “Ten Days for Peace” Celebrations Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass |
Congregation of the Mission (CM)
Profile:
November 30th, 1950
Born in the Philippines
June 3rd, 1973
Joined the Missionary Society of St. Vincent de Paul
March 17th, 1979
Ordained as a priest of the Congregation of the Mission (CM)
June 1979
Assigned as chaplain of the Adamson University in Manila, Philippines
1983~
Parish priest of Christ the King Catholic Church in Camarines Sur, Philippines
1986~
Campus Director, Ozanam Research Grant Program Director, Guidance Counselor,
Test Center Director, and Student Director of the Adamson University in Manila
1992~
Accountant of the St. Vincent Missionary Society of the Philippines
1994~
Superior of the St. Vincent Missionary Society of the Philippines
April 1st, 1998
Arrival in Japan, learned Japanese at the Shukugawa Catholic Church
2000~
Assigned to the Tamatsukuri Catholic Church
April 26th, 2011
Assigned to the Kobe Central Catholic Church
Date of Ordination: March 17th, 1979
Hobbies: tennis, brisk walking
Profile:
September 20th, 1979
Born in the Dole on France.
He was born as a third child out of four siblings.
2000
Entered the Lyon Theological Seminary.
2002 ~ 2003
Volunteered at Emmaus House in Tokyo.
2004
Joined in the Missions Etrangeres de Paris
2009
Studied at L'Institut Catholique de Paris
July 3rd, 2011
Priests ordained
August 22nd, 2012 ~ August 2013
Arrival in Japan and learned Japanese at the Nanzan University in Nagoya.
August 2013 ~ August 2014
Assigned to the Chigasaki Catholic Church
September 2014 ~
Assigned to the central block in Kobe
April 2017 ~
Assigned to the East block in Kobe,
Kobe Central Catholic Church, and Sumiyoshi Catholic Church.
Date of Ordination: July 3rd, 2011
Hobbies: Playing sports, Singing, and watching movies
Message: Be kind each other.
Profile:
August 9th, 1934
Born in France
December 21th, 1960
Priest ordained (Members of the Paris Foreign Missions)
April, 1961
Dispatched to Hong Kong
November 11th, 1962
Landing at Kobe Port (First Step to Japan)
December, 1964
Assistant priest of the Kobe Shimo Yamate Church
April, 1967
Third assistant priest of the Syukugawa church
June, 1968
Chief delegate of the Kobe Central Yamate Church
October, 1969
Cooperation Priest at the Kobe Sumiyoshi Church
January, 1971
Seafarer Pastor in the Osaka Diocese Foreigner Ship
September, 1978
Chief priest of the Sanda church
April, 1990
Sabbatical in Tokyo (due to poor health)
August, 1991
Assistant priest at the Akashi church (restitution)
April, 1994
Concurrently serving as chief priest of the Hyogo church · Nada Church
April, 1995
Concurrently serving as chief priest of the Shimo Yamate church · Hyogo church
October, 1995
Buddhist secretary of the Tokyo mission,
September, 2003
Restitution at the Sisters of the Visitation in Kamakura
October, 2007
Co-ordination priest of the Syukugawa church
April, 2013
Paris Foreign Missionary in Tokyo Headquarters
April, 2015
Common Secretary Pastor of the Syukugawa Church
April, 2018
Cooperation Priest of the Kobe Eastern Block
Date of Ordination: December 21th, 1960
Hobbies: Take a walk
Message : Let's walk with the Lord!
Father Augustine Kasagi (Father Kasagi)
Father returned to heaven on August 8,2018.
I'll wish for an eternal relief.
Profile:
1929
Born in Omachi Cith, Nagano Prefecture
1955
Baptized at the Kitahama Church in Osaka
1956
Entered the Tokyo Catholic Shingakuin (majoring in Latin)
1959
Entered St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, USA
1963
Ordained
1963
Entered the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome (Graduate School of Laaw)
1967
Assistant priest of the assembly church
1968~1999
Taught at the St. Thomas University (Eichi University) in Hyogo, Japan
1985
Assigned Parish Priest of the Kitahama Catholic Church
1989
Assigned Parish Priest of the Shukugawa Catholic Church
1995
Assigned Parish Priest of the Takarazuka Catholic Church
2002
Assigned Parish Priest of the Toyonaka Catholic Church
2014
Assigned to the Kobe Eastern Block (Kobe Central Church and Sumiyoshi Church)
Father returned to heaven on August 8,2018.
Date of Ordination: May 25th, 1963
Hobbies: walking, reading, listening to classical music
Message:
“As I am getting older, I would not want to be a bother to the everyone. So I value my health and will keep on doing my best to serve the parish through the Holy Mass and the Faith Formation Courses.”
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI)
He transferred to the Umeda church on April 2017.
Profile:
October 30th, 1964 Born in Sri Lanka
August 22nd, 1992 Ordained in Sri Lanka into the OMI
September 2nd, 1994~ Arrival in Japan
Studied Japanese language for 2 years
Assigned to the Dioceses of Fukuoka,
Osaka and Takamatsu
July 2014~ Assigned to the Kobe Eastern Block (Kobe Central Church and Sumiyoshi Church)
Date of Ordination: August 22nd, 1992
Hobbies: listening to music, playing the keyboard, basketball, table tennis
Message:
“It is not about how much material things you could get in life. What is important is how you lived your life, how you loved people, and how you did your best. If you want to change something, you do not know how much time is left for you, so you should start changing now.”
Profile:
July 28th, 1931 Born in Chicago, USA
August 1931 Baptism
February 13th, 1957 Arrival in Japan
March 18th, 1963 Ordained into the Society of Jesus (SJ, Jesuits)
February 1965~ Assigned to the Hosoe Catholic Church in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi
1969~ Assigned to the Hikoshima CatholicChurch in Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi
1974~ Taught at the Kougo Catholic Center, Hiroshima Gakuin, and Hiroshima University
1986~ Assigned as Parish Priest of the Rokko Catholic Church
2000~ Assigned as Parish Priest of the Amagasaki Catholic Church
2003~ Pastor of the Kobe Central Catholic Church
Date of Ordination: March 18th, 1963
Hobbies: listening to music, reading
Message:
“Relying on each other, let us work together to promote the Kingdom of God here on earth.”
Foreign Language Masses
Access
By train:
・ JR Sannomiya Station, West Exit OR Hankyu Sannomiya Station, East Exit
⇨ Walk north towards Kitanozaka Road, cross Yamate-kansen, then turn left on the 1st traffic light.
・Hankyu Sannomiya, West Exit
⇨ Walk through Higashi-mon towards Yamate-kansen, then turn right on the 2nd block.
The Old Foreign Settlement Area (Ijinkan)
is a popular tourist spot in Kitano.
South of this area is Sannomiya and Motomachi.
The Kobe Central Catholic Church is in the Kitano area.
Whenever in Kobe, please feel free to drop by our church.
1-28-7 Nakayamate-dori, Chuo ward, Kobe City, 650-0004
Tel: 078-221-4682 Fax: 078-221-4684
Introduction to Kobe Central Church
We are a church that that gives priority to those marginalized by society.
Like a salad, we are a church that values fellowship within diversity.”
To commemorate unification of the three churches in Chuo Ward (Nada, Nakayamate and Shimoyamate) into the Kobe Central Catholic Church, the interior of the main church building was designed to be spacious and bright, where one can pray in serenity, bathed in the grace of the Holy Spirit.
White bricks compose the interior walls giving a sense of peace and quiet. The pews are set at gradual height gradients to allow those seated in the back to have a good view of the entire altar, accentuating a sense of unity.
Sixteen stained glass windows representing creation of heaven and earth are found in the center wall, behind the altar, providing a gentle lighted background. Fourteen stained glass windows on the walls to the right and left sides of the pews represent the Stations of the Cross. The stained glass windows were designed to face the altar. However, on walking back to the pews after receiving Holy Communion at the altar, the stained glass windows could be seen directly, with all its bright and vivid colors.
Upon entering the main church, the white walls and the stained glass give one a sense of tranquility. The eye is not directly exposed to the bright sunlight and the mood inside the church changes with the passing of the hours, from the bright blue colors of the morning to the red hues of the evening.
There is a skylight on the ceiling above the altar representing the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Together with the stained glass windows, one’s view is naturally directed to the center of the altar. This design is also helpful in the interior acoustics of the main church.
In the center of the wall behind the altar is a statue of the Risen Lord. Filled with deep faith, the statue made by Mr. Fujii took a year-and-a-half to complete. The statue is set on a backdrop of raised bricks in the shape of a cross, giving it the appearance of emerging from the walls itself.
To commemorate unification of the three churches in Chuo Ward (Nada, Nakayamate and Shimoyamate) into the Kobe Central Catholic Church, the interior of the main church building was designed to be spacious and bright, where one can pray in serenity, bathed in the grace of the Holy Spirit.
White bricks compose the interior walls giving a sense of peace and quiet. The pews are set at gradual height gradients to allow those seated in the back to have a good view of the entire altar, accentuating a sense of unity.
Sixteen stained glass windows representing creation of heaven and earth are found in the center wall, behind the altar, providing a gentle lighted background. Fourteen stained glass windows on the walls to the right and left sides of the pews represent the Stations of the Cross. The stained glass windows were designed to face the altar. However, on walking back to the pews after receiving Holy Communion at the altar, the stained glass windows could be seen directly, with all its bright and vivid colors.
Upon entering the main church, the white walls and the stained glass give one a sense of tranquility. The eye is not directly exposed to the bright sunlight and the mood inside the church changes with the passing of the hours, from the bright blue colors of the morning to the red hues of the evening.
There is a skylight on the ceiling above the altar representing the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Together with the stained glass windows, one’s view is naturally directed to the center of the altar. This design is also helpful in the interior acoustics of the main church.
In the center of the wall behind the altar is a statue of the Risen Lord. Filled with deep faith, the statue made by Mr. Fujii took a year-and-a-half to complete. The statue is set on a backdrop of raised bricks in the shape of a cross, giving it the appearance of emerging from the walls itself.
Daily morning masses are usually heard at the small chapel. It could also be used for quiet personal prayers. The right wall has an opening for natural light to enter and shine on the altar. The right wall also has seven stained glass windows representing the Seven Days of Creation. In addition, there are slits on the top of the right wall, which allows light to diffuse into the entire chapel. On the left wall are the Stations of the Cross.
Three stained glass
windows of the former
Nakayamate Catholic
Church has been
relocated to the memorial
corner at the lobby. It
was designed especially
for the Nakayamate
Church at the atelier of
Mr. Gabriel Loire and in
Chartres (100 km
Southwest of Paris) in1965.
Statue of Our Lady
of Fatima at the lobby
This statue of Our Lady
of Fatima was donated
by the faithful of the
Philippines after the
Great-Hanshin Awaji
earthquake.
the church. The faithful
are encouraged to receive
the Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
special events.
Kids’ Room
for Sunday School,
Bible study, and as a
room where young
children can play.
Evangelists.
Memorial to the old
Nakayamate Church Bell Tower
CHURCH EVENTS
The Church at Christmas
