PREFECTURE APOSTOLIC OF MIYAZAKI. - Located in the eastern part of the island of Kyushu (southern Japan), it comprises the two civil provinces of M. and Oita. This circumscription was first erected as a mission sui iuris (27 March 1928) and then elevated to an apostolic prefecture on 28 Jan. 1935, being entrusted to the Salesian Society of St. John Bosco. On 15 Feb. 1946 it was transferred to the Japanese secular clergy, though the Salesians continued to lend their work as auxiliaries. To these there have recently been added some Fathers of the Foreign Missions of Parma, the former limiting themselves to carrying out their apostolate in the civil province of M. and the latter in the province of Oita, by virtue of an agreement stipulated between the bishop of Fukuoka, apostolic administrator of M., and the respective missionary societies.
This mission has an area of 16,072 sq. km. and a population of 2,298,172 inhabitants (1948 census), of whom barely 2,960 are Catholics, with 407 catechumens. All the others are Buddhists or Shintoists. The majority of the inhabitants are devoted to agriculture and fishing; only a minority attend to industries.
The evangelization of this region goes back to St. Francis Xavier. He was received in 1551 at Funai (today Oita) by the daimyo Otomo Sorin, who later became a Christian with the name of Francis. In 1588 the episcopal see of Japan, entrusted to the Jesuits. After the long period of persecution, in the first half of the 19th century the Fathers of the Society of Foreign Missions [of Paris] undertook their work in this mission. In 1923 the Salesians arrived there. There are 23 priests, of whom 2 are Japanese and 3 Italian; 33 Japanese nuns and 5 teachers; 8 quasi-parishes; 1 primary station and 4 secondary ones; 18 sacred buildings; 5 orphanages; 3 shelters; 2 elementary schools; 2 middle schools; one high school.
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Edoardo Pecoraio