Archbishop Takeo Okada enshrined relics of two Polish saints one of whom was Pope John Paul II
Archbishop Takeo Okada of Tokyo has dedicated a shrine that includes relics sent from Poland to be a perpetual commemoration of the Year of Mercy.
The archbishop declared Tokyo's St. Mary's Cathedral would be the archdiocesan Shrine of the Divine Mercy during a Mass on Nov. 13 that marked the end of the Jubilee of Mercy.
Following Mass, Archbishop Okada enshrined relics of Ss. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament and Pope John Paul II in the cathedral.
The relics were sent from the Archdiocese of Krakow, Poland, last December. Before being enshrined, the relics toured dioceses throughout the country during the jubilee year, which also marked the 35th anniversary of St. John Paul's visit to Japan.
In giving his blessing at the ceremony, Archbishop Okada said, "I pray that all who trust in the Divine Mercy may grow spiritually here."
The cathedral has two other major relics, one is of St. Francis Xavier, the first Catholic missionary to Japan, and the other is of the Biblical Magi, both of which were given by the Archdiocese of Cologne, Germany.
Archbishop Takeo Okada of Tokyo blesses the Shrine of the Divine Mercy on Nov. 13 to mark the end of Pope Francis' Jubilee of Mercy. (Photo by the 'Catholic Weekly of Japan')
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