Sister Chizuyo Inoue (JPN) received an award from the Foundation for Social Contribution for her untiring service in Indonesia for so many years. The ceremony was held on July 22nd at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo where the certificate of merit was presented to her by Mrs. Akie Abe, First Lady of Japan and President of the Foundation. Sr. Nance O’Neil (INS) and other RSCJ were present at the celebration.
In a message she wrote in the newsletter of the Japan Province, Sr. Inoue said:
This is actually an award given to the Society of the Sacred Heart in Indonesia. When I look back, I recall that I joined Nance O’Neil and Barbara Dawson in Indonesia in 1991. Soon after, many other RSCJ from different parts of the world also came to be part of the mission; and then eventually young women also came to join us. All these RSCJ are the ones who should receive this award.
She also shared about the other awardees:
The ceremony was arranged magnificently. I was impressed that so many persons are actively doing service to others: saving lives, educating youth, protecting the environment, helping the disabled, and so on. Among the 37 awardees, there are two other “Sacred Heart women”: Mrs. Asako Yoshinari, who with her husband fostered 16 children; and Mrs. Mariko Kawaguchi, a former teacher at our International School, who has promoted language teaching.
Each awardee’s story shows the strong human power that is borne out of working together. In my case, for example, I experienced how my full energy was called out by this power of human solidarity.
Sr. Inoue ended her message, saying:
At the ceremony, so many friends came to celebrate with us and to share our joy and gratitude: our RSCJ sisters, my own sisters, alumnae from the schools, university friends….