The Story of the Sisters

Sister Angela Yamada

 The following is a personal reflection written by Sister Angela Yamada on the occasion of her 60th anniversary of religious profession.

 I (Sr. Angela Yamada) celebrated 60 years of profession as a Hospital Sisters of St. Francis. I am one of the first class of Japanese sisters of the Japan Provincial. I recollect my religious life.

 I was born in Tokyo. While I was working for a bank, I read the magazine “Knights of the Mother of God” catholic monthly, printed by the Conventual Franciscans and I noticed that the publishing company was looking for a clerk. I inquired about whether I could help, and without resigning from the bank, I assisted this company after my working hours.

 One time I became extremely sick and was hospitalized. The Salesian sisters visited me in the hospital, because my younger sisters went to the kindergarten of Daughters of Mary Help of Christians. My condition was profoundly serious. The doctor said that I might die, so I was baptized on my “deathbed” by a Salesian Sister. Thanks to the prayers of the Salesian Sister, I recovered. After 2 ,3 months I was out of the hospital, I returned to work, and I also continued assisting the publishing company.

 Seeing the Salesian Sisters, I began to consider religious life, and after a while talked to the Conventual Francis priest who I had met before. As he often toward between Tokyo and Nagasaki, he knew the St. Francis Sanitarium in Nagasaki. And he introduced me to our community, at the time who would be my classmate already worked in this sanitarium.

 As my family was not Catholic, they opposed strongly to my entering the Community. However, I talked to my mother about admission to religious life again and then went to Himeji and entered the community.

 When I entered, we lived with the missionaries from U.S.A. We had to talk in English with them. When we did not understand in English, we made ourselves understood in broken English with the help of some gestures. We made many mistakes, but these are pleasant memories.

 I pronounced my first vows in 1953. After first vows, my family, who resolutely opposed my entering the Community, was baptizes. Though a Salesian Sister baptized me, I did not enter Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, but by I working the publishing company I knew St. Francis. I have been 60 years a Hospital Sisters of St. Francis.

 "What God does is truly a mystery"These words of Sr Angela Yamada continue to resonate with us as a profound testimony of faith. They remind us of God's abiding presence and His loving guidance throughout the journey of our lives.