St Francis Xavier Chapel "Maryknoll" Japanese Catholic Center, 222 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Formerly known as "Maryknoll"
Mission Statement
We of Saint Francis Xavier Chapel, as members of the Body of Christ, are called to announce in word and in deed the Good News of the Lord Jesus, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
We recognize our community's call to holiness based on mutuality, reciprocity, and interdependence and its ministry focusing on Japanese Catholics while also welcoming all in our greater community.
Fr. Doan Hoang's Message for the June 29, 2025
Dear brothers and sisters, buongiorno!
In the Gospel today, Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Jesus says to Simon, whom he named Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 16:19). This is why we often see Saint Peter depicted with two large keys in his hand, as in the statue here in this Square. Those keys represent the ministry of authority that Jesus entrusted to him at the service of all the Church. Because authority is a service, and authority that is not service is dictatorship.
Let us be careful, though, to understand well the meaning of this. Peter’s keys, in fact, are the keys of a Kingdom, which Jesus does not describe as a safe or a vault, but with other images: a tiny seed, a precious pearl, a hidden treasure, a handful of leaven (cf. Mt 13:1-33), that is, like something precious and rich, yes, but at the same time small and inconspicuous. To reach it, therefore, one does not need to activate mechanisms and safety locks, but to cultivate virtues such as patience, attention, constancy, humility, service.
Therefore, the mission that Jesus entrusts to Peter is not to bar the doors to the house, permitting entry only to a few select guests, but rather to help everyone find the way to enter, in faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus. Everyone, everyone, everyone can enter.
And Peter did this throughout his life, faithfully, until his martyrdom, after having been the first to experience for himself, not without fatigue and with many setbacks, the joy and the freedom that come from the encounter with the Lord. He was the first to have to convert, and to understand that authority is a service, in order to open the door to Jesus, and it was not easy for him. Let us think: just after saying to Jesus, “You are the Christ”, the Master had to reproach him, because he refused to accept the prophecy of his passion and his death by the cross (cf. Mt 16:21-23).
Peter received the keys to the Kingdom not because he was perfect, no — he was a sinner — but because he was humble, honest, and the Father had given him sincere faith (cf. Mt 16:17). Therefore, entrusting himself to God’s mercy, he was able to support and fortify his brethren too, as had been asked of him (cf. Lk 22:32).
Today we can ask ourselves, then: do I cultivate the desire to enter, with God’s grace, into his Kingdom, and to be, with his help, its welcoming guardian for others too? And to do so, do I let myself be “polished”, softened, modelled by Jesus and his Spirit, the Spirit who dwells in us, in each one of us?
May Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and the Saints, Peter and Paul, through their prayers, grant us to be guides and support to one another, for the encounter with the Lord Jesus.
Saint Peter's Square
Saturday, 29 June 2024
Pope Francis
親愛なる兄弟姉妹の皆様、Buongiorno!
今日、使徒聖ペトロ・聖パウロの祭日の福音朗読の中で、イエスはペトロと呼ばれたシモンに対し「わたしはあなたに天の国の鍵を授ける」（マタイ16,19）と言われた。それゆえに、わたしたちは、ここ聖ペトロ広場の彫像のように、聖ペトロが二つの大きな鍵を持った姿で表現されるのを見かける。この鍵は、全教会への奉仕のために、イエスがシモンに託した権威を表している。
しかし、注意しなければいけないことは、ペトロの鍵は天国の鍵であるが、イエスは天国を金庫や頑丈な貴重品室のようなものではなく、小さな種、貴重な真珠、隠された宝、わずかなパン種のようなイメージで語っていることである。つまり、それは貴重で豊かなものであるが、同時に小さく目立たないものである。したがって、そこに到達するには、安全ロックを操作するのではなく、忍耐や、配慮、堅実、謙遜といった徳を育まなければならない。
イエスがペトロに託した使命は、家の扉を固く閉ざし、わずかな選ばれた客だけを入れることではなく、イエスの福音に対する忠実において、すべての人がそこに入る道を見つけられるように助けることなのである。
そして、ペトロはその使命を、生涯をかけて、忠実に、殉教に至るまで果たすだろう。ペトロは、苦労やつまずきを経ながらも、主との出会いから生まれる喜びと自由を、最初に自分自身が体験した。ペトロは最初にイエスに自分の扉を開いた。だが、その回心は容易なことではなかった。ペトロがイエスに「あなたはメシアです」と言った直後に、イエスの受難と死の予告を聞いて、それを受け入れることを拒絶したために、イエスから叱責されたこと（参照 マタイ16,21-23）を思い出してみよう。
ペトロがイエスから天国の鍵を受け取ったのは、彼が完璧だったからではない。それは、彼が謙遜で正直な人であり、御父が彼に混じり気のない信仰を与えられたからである（参照 マタイ16,17）。それゆえに、ペトロは、神のいつくしみに自らを委ねながら、イエスが彼に命じたように、兄弟たちを支え力づけることができた（参照 ルカ22,32）。
では、ここで自問しよう。わたしは、神の恵みによって、天国に入る望みを育んでいるだろうか。そして、神の助けによって、自分は他者に対しても天国の受容的な管理人でいるだろうか。そうなるために、イエスと、わたしたちの中に住まわれる聖霊に「やすりをかけられ」、なめされ、形作られるように、自分を委ねているだろうか。
わたしたちが互いに主イエスとの出会いの導き手、支え手となれるよう、使徒たちの女王、マリア、そして聖ペトロ、聖パウロの取り次ぎを祈ろう。
サンピエトロ広場
2024年6月29日（土）
教皇フランシスコ
in-church masses Schedule
Sunday, June 29th:
Come meet your fellow parishioners at our quarterly bilingual Mass at 10 a.m. (Japanese and English) Sorry, we will not have 8:30 am Mass. The Japanese and English bilingual Mass is held on the 5th Sunday of the month.
Sunday: 8:30 am. Japanese Mass
10:00 am. English Mass
Saturday: 5:00 pm English Vigil Mass
Weekday Masses are on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 12:05 pm.
Weekday Masses are subject to change due to funerals or illness.
First Saturday Devotion: 9:00 am, Mass followed by Rosary and Divine Mercy. Confessions are available after the Mass.
COVID, Cold and Allergies:
- If you are not feeling well, please stay home and get well; you are in our prayers.
- Hand Sanitizers are available for you to use.
- Masks are optional.
Donations
Thank you for your continued support! We are grateful to all who donate to SFXCJCC. We are open for weekend and weekday Masses. And are slowly opening our facility to our ministries and groups.
We are still in need of your financial help! Would you please continue making your Sunday Collection contributions or donating to St Francis Xavier Chapel?
You can mail checks to the office:
SFXCJCC
222 S Hewitt Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
To donate by credit card, click the button below.
Get Involved
Are you passionate about what we're doing? Let us know! We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you. We're excited to have you join the team!
Thank you!
Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you. .