日本におけるケベック宣教団の足跡  [in Japanese] Footsteps of the Quebec Missionaries in Japan  [in Japanese]

The year 1998 marks the hundredth anniversary of the coming to Japan of the first Quebec missionary : Helene Paradis, Sister Marie Beata, arrived at Kumamoto on October 19, 1898. She was 24 years old when she arrived and stayed continuously in Japan for 62 years until her death in 1960. She was a Franciscan Missionary of Mary, and with three other sisters she founded the Biwasaki Tairo Hospital for lepers. She was also the first superior of a home for old ladies near Seibo Byoin Hospital, Tokyo (both of which still in existence). During this century, Sister Beata was followed by hundreds and hundreds of Quebec missionaries. Their contribution to Japanese social, educational and spiritual welfare was outstanding from many viewpoints. Since the end of the Second World War, they formed the largest Catholic missionary group. After presenting the life of Sister Beata and giving statistics about her followers' activities, the authors go on to make a preliminary social assessment of the prodigious efforts made by these missionaries. Although a more thorough study should eventually be done, we can conclude that in spite of the particularly difficult circumstances of their lives, these sons and daughters of Quebec made a great impact on the Catholic Church of Japan, and, by way of feedback, on their native Quebec as well.