June ５-8 2023
Three NPO staff members visited Manila, Philippines for Sidotti's footprint survey. In the old city of Intramuros surrounded by stone walls with a total length of 1500m, we saw the ruins of the hospital where Sidotti lived, and the seminary he built, and the blueprints of the seminary in his day. In addition, at the San Agustin Church, which is a World Heritage Site, and the museum attached to it, we were able to touch Manila in the time of Sidotti.
Also, we went to the suburbs and saw the statue of Ukon Takayama in Dirao, which used to be a Japanese town and then observed the current state of the seminary founded by Sidotti where Tomoko Furui gave a speech in front of about 100 students.
This achievement would not have been possible without the cooperation of Father Nakano, Father Kijima, Father Tam, and Father Ann of the Diocese of Kagoshima who accompanied us, as well as the priests of the Manila Cathedral and historical researchers who guided us there.
We also received warm words of encouragement from Mr. Chen Wen-ju, chairman of the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, who has had a long business relationship with Japan.
It was a tight schedule with only 2 days in between travel, but we were able to make a lot of discoveries and encounters. We would like to make use of this experience in future exhibitions, lectures, and the Sidotti Memorial Museum.
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