In March of 2023, the Friary of the B.V.M., Mediatrix of Graces in Nigawa, Japan, founded in 1949, was tragically destroyed in a fire. Now, the community has marked the long-awaited completion of the friary’s reconstruction with a joyful celebration of thanksgiving.
The reconstruction work was finished on June 20, 2026. On July 5, the new Friary of the B.V.M., Mediatrix of Grace was solemnly blessed by the Minister Provincial of the Province of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. in Japan, Friar Lucas Shinichiro TANIZAKI.
The new friary was built on a smaller scale than the previous one, taking into account the current decline in the number of friars. This choice, however, was more than an adaptation to circumstances. It also expressed the desire to foster an even deeper, simpler, and more authentic fraternal life, allowing the friars to live their daily communion more fully.
Under the leadership of the Guardian, Friar Caecilianus Mitsuharu AKAO, the Friary of the B.V.M., Mediatrix of Graces seeks to continue being a vibrant Franciscan presence—a house of fraternity, prayer, and hospitality, open to all who seek the Lord.
We express our sincere thanks to those who have guided this journey over the years with prayer, solidarity, and support. We thank God for guiding and protecting this project and we entrust the future of the fraternity in Nigawa to His providence.
Friar Marcus Keiichi OMIZU, Provincial Secretary
