Pilgrimage of Peace

Journey to Japan

“Never again war, never again the clash of arms, never again so much suffering! May peace come in our time and to our world.”
~ Pope Francis, Peace Memorial, November 2019

The mission of the Pilgrimage of Peace is to establish an ecclesial and personal relationship with the bishops of Japan to work toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, expressing our heartfelt sorrow for the devastating experiences endured by their nation.

Daily Digest

Day 8 – Digest

Day 8 Rain fell as Typhoon Khanun rolled into town. We started our day by continuing our discussions with the Archbishops of Nagasaki and the Bishop of Hiroshima about the partnership between our four dioceses. The talks were cordial, and we made quick progress as all parties agreed on the work’s major pillars. We attended…

Day 7 – Digest

Day 7 The archbishops stayed with Archbishop Nakamura at his residence, which is part of the Catholic Center. This morning, they celebrated Mass, and we joined them later for a formal meeting about the idea of joining our four dioceses in an alliance or partnership. The discussions were fruitful and will continue tomorrow. After, we…

Day 6 – Digest

Day 6 We started our day with a private Mass in the basement Chapel of the World Peace Memorial Cathedral in Hiroshima. We then embarked on a 5 1/2-hour bus ride to Nagasaki with several Japanese arch/bishops, and the Apostolic Nuncio to Japan, Archbishop Leo Boccardi. The countryside was captivating and sprinkled with rain –…

Day 5 – Digest

Day 5 Clapping, chanting, and singing opened our day at an Interfaith Prayer Ceremony at the Atomic Bomb Memorial Mound led by the Hiroshima Prefecture Federation of Religions. Our archbishops joined with other religious leaders to remember the souls of those who died 78 years ago on the anniversary of dropping the atomic bomb on…

Day 4 – Digest

Day 4 Another remarkable and engaging day in Hiroshima. The archbishops met with a local Japanese reporter to share the story behind the Pilgrimage of Peace. This was followed by a meeting with Noriko Hiruma from the Japan Catholic Council for Justice and Peace and Tomoki Yanagawa from the Jesuit Social Center. Tomoki originally read…

Day 3 – Digest

Day 3 We witnessed the sea of commuters rushing through the Tokyo train station this morning as we boarded the four-hour bullet train to Hiroshima. Speeding through the countryside, we saw numerous cities, coastal communities, gorgeous mountains, a few Christian churches, and rural areas before arriving in Hiroshima. Most Rev. Alexis Mitsuru Shirahama, Bishop of…

Day 2 – Digest

Day 2 – Digest Today began with a train ride to Kamakura, a 12th-century city on the coast. The first stop was the Zen Engaku-ji Temple, founded in 1282 by Mugaku Sogen to honor those killed in wars against Mongolia. The quiet and peacefulness of the temple grounds, meditation rooms, and garden were palpable. After…

Day 1- Digest

Day 1 – Digest Our first full day was spent getting acclimated to the time change, the weather, the frenetic energy of the city, and the nuances of the Japanese train system. We also enjoyed the exquisite Japanese cuisine comprised of many small, beautifully displayed dishes. After lunch, Archbishop Wester and Archbishop Etienne met with…

Day 0 – Digest

Day 0 – The Pilgrimage Begins Our delegations met for the first time in the LAX airport as we boarded the flight to Japan. After 12 hours we welcomed the sights of lush greenery and Japanese boats as we flew into Tokyo. We had no issues with customs, transfers or meeting up with our leader…

July – Pilgrimage Preparation

July 17th – Preparing for a pilgrimage Our delegation has met online to prepare for this pilgrimage. Each of us is spending time in prayer, reading to enhance our understanding of nuclear disarmament and learning about the Japanese culture. Pilgrimage of Peace

Archbishop Etienne's "Truth In Love" Blog

About

The mission of our Pilgrimage of Peace is to establish an ecclesial and personal relationship with the bishops of Japan to work toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, expressing our heartfelt sorrow for the devastating experiences endured by their nation. Furthermore, through open dialogue, shared prayers, and a commitment to unity, we strive to build a sisterhood of dioceses, working together to ensure such human suffering is never inflicted upon humanity again. With the Holy Spirit as our guiding light, and under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Nagasaki, we embark on this mission, standing with the bishops of Japan to create a legacy of peace for current and future generations.

Novena for Nuclear Disarmament Aug 1 - 9, 2023

“In a single plea to God and to all men and women of goodwill, on behalf of all the victims of atomic bombings and experiments, and of all conflicts, let us together cry out from our hearts: Never again war, never again the clash of arms, never again so much suffering! May peace come in our time and to our world.”

~ Pope Francis, November 2019 at the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima

August 9th

Day 9 – Today we pray for the people of Nagasaki on the anniversary of its bombing. As they continue to bear the wounds of nuclear warfare, may they know healing and peace. May we say “never again” to the use of nuclear weapons.

Download - English

Archbishop Public Remarks

Archbishop Wester Aug 5 Hiroshima Presentation

Archbishop Etienne Aug 5 Hiroshima Reflection

Archbishop Wester Aug 7 Interfaith Dialogue

Archbishop Etienne Aug 8 Reflection

Partnership Declaration for World Without Nuclear Weapons

August 9, 2023 - On the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we, the bishops of four Catholic arch/dioceses in areas impacted by nuclear weapons, declare that we will begin working together to achieve a “world without nuclear weapons.”

Archdiocese of Seattle - Official Release

Signed Agreement: Partnership for a World without Nuclear Weapons - English

Signed Agreement:核兵器のない世界のためのパートナーシップ

Schedule

August 2 - Tokyo

August 3 – Kamakura

August 4 – Travel to Hiroshima

August 5 – Hiroshima

August 6 – Hiroshima

August 7 – Travel to Nagasaki

August 8 – Nagasaki

August 9 – Nagasaki

Pilgrims

Who: Delegations from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and Seattle will travel together representing two major nuclear strongholds in the United States. They will be escorted by Hirokazu Miyazaki, Anthropology Professor at Northwestern University and Peace Correspondent for Nagasaki.