St Joseph's Parish in Tokyo, Japan, where Columban Fr Barry Cairns occasionally celebrates Mass. Photo: Columban Fr George Hogarty
I am 94 years old. I have been a Columban missionary priest for 70 years and arrived in Japan 69 years ago - at a time when the country was vastly different from today. The scars of war were everywhere: devastation, poverty, war widows, fatherless children, and limbless ex-soldiers, dressed in white, begging for alms at railway stations. Tuberculosis was rampant. These conditions were especially visible in rural areas outside Tokyo and Osaka.
After completing language school, I was assigned to Yakata parish in the mountainous province of Wakayama. During my first week, I participated in a team-teaching session for those preparing for marriage. That moment left a deep impression on me - one that still resonates today and remains the reason I continue my mission in Japan. Many of the men in that group were non-Christians; the women were parishioners. Still new to the language, I relied on asking questions: “When you hear the word ‘God’, what words or images come to mind?” and “What is your main interest in life?”
The responses revealed that Buddhism and Shintoism had little influence on their lives. For some, God was a punisher of evil - how sad! For others, God was a vague, distant presence in the universe.
To the second question, the answers ranged from “the company I work for,” to “the Hanshin Tigers” (the local pro baseball team), and “photography”. I was struck by how superficial, unsatisfying, and fleeting these interests seemed. In contrast, I realised the treasure I had been given: my faith. It was then, and remains now, a gift I feel called to share.
Meeting Christ is a life-altering gift. That encounter has set the compass of my missionary life ever since. I want to dedicate my life to showing the Japanese people, in my own limited way, that God loves them.
In my early years of mission, I suffered from what’s called a Messiah complex. I thought everything depended on my strength and effort. And I did work hard!
Thankfully, I’ve since been cured - mostly. I now understand that I am Christ’s representative, not His plenipotentiary.
Today, at 94, I serve as “priest in residence” in a mission parish in Yokohama City. Many of my Columban confreres have returned to their home countries, continuing their mission through prayer, which knows no boundaries. I have chosen to stay in Japan - to live among the people I pray for and love.
A typical week for me begins with Sunday Mass, where we average around 70 attendees. In this digital age, I upload my homilies in both Japanese and English to our parish homepage. (There are more than two million foreign workers in Japan today.) I often end my homilies with a reminder: “Let us share the gifts that God gives us with others this week.” My goal is to inspire parishioners to be missionaries in their own environments.
Our parish also hosts Chinese and Indonesian communities, with priests from those countries celebrating their respective Masses. Monday is my recreation day. I enjoy DIY carpentry and tending a small vegetable garden. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, I lead baptism preparation classes, as well as a group called “Praying with the Scriptures”. I move, as the Japanese say, at my pace - a slow one.
I am not busy! I’m also part of a formation group, along with five Japanese priests, for diocesan seminarians in Yokohama. Each weekend, a seminarian joins the parish for hands-on pastoral experience. The current seminarian is the 19th I've mentored, which means I now know many of the young priests in the diocese.
I believe in delegation and shared responsibility. Our bishop promotes the principle of subsidiarity. A British labour union leader once described it this way: “Sharing out jobs with others - and trusting the blighters to do them!” In our church, this approach has helped build community - and reduce stress! Just by being in residence, I’ve found I can contribute meaningfully to faith and mission. Despite having three stents in my heart, I remain in Japan, still sharing the most precious gift given to me - my faith. Psalm 97:7 best expresses why I am still here: “Among the nations, I will praise you, Lord. Your love reaches to the heavens.”
Columban Fr Barry Cairns lives and works in Japan.
Listen to "At 94, I’m still in Japan! Why?"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - September/October 2025
