May 5/6, 2019, Monday; #102

May 5/6, 2019
Monday
#102
A long time friend of mine with Father Tagawa of Gyosei International School and a devout Catholic had his family baptism.
It was held in a graduate by a Gyosei grad

and priest of Franciscans in Denenchofu.
It is rather impressive church you can see from Toyoko line of Tokyu Tamagawa station.
The ceremony of "established" catholics is very impressive. They were the leading Samurai background and Meiji restoration forced them to join the high class catholic schools founded by French missionaries.
They are well educated and can speak French well.
I happen to attend the international school section of the Marianist missionary who was running "Etoile de Matin" and became friends with the Japanese establishments.
Women all attended "Shirayuri", very high class girls school in Shonan and Tokyo.
Men attended Gyosei school or Gakushuin(peer school) and are from Vice Lords of Tosa and Nabeshima(Karou) and have a large estate and house in Chigasaki  including British style thatched roof house....very unusual and impressive..
My mother always said the Catholics in Japan are "upper class" or "lower class(orphans and needed ones)". This baptism reminded me of my mother's remark..