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Sr. M. Genevieve Sato
We introduce Sister Genevieve Sato among the Sisters of the Japanese province. She was born in Tokyo. When she became five years old, her family moved to Kobe. After that, she moved to Nagasaki.
She was baptized in the Catholic Church in 1949. In 1952, she entered our Community. She took her first vows in 1954 and final vows in 1960.
A few years after her final vows, her younger brother was also baptized and became a Franciscan friar. In addition, her mother and elder sister were baptized several years later.
She wanted to become a sister before she was baptized. She did not think she would marry someone. She hoped deeply to be of service for other people. A year passed since she had been baptized and she found employment in St. Francis Hospital through her friend’s introduction. She worked with some sisters who were the first missionaries from American province to Japan, and she made up her mind to enter our community.
After she took her first vows, she worked as a pharmacist for 42 years. The first 24 years she worked at St. Mary’s Hospital in Himeji, the other 18 years she worked at St. Francis Hospital in Nagasaki. After which, she moved to Tokyo and managed the chapel in Francisco Villa. Then again she returned to Nagasaki, visiting patients in St. Francis Hospital and encouraged them.
Sister Genevieve celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2004. She continues in Nagasaki to be of service to the sisters in the convent now, especially, taking charge of the library, for which the other sisters are grateful to her.
She shares her best memories as follows. “When I had a chance to celebrate my Silver Jubilee, I could visit Motherhouse in Münster. Sr. Gabrielis was the General Vicaress at that time, and many sisters received me warmly waving German Flag and Japanese Flag in the front of the entrance of Motherhouse. While I was staying in Motherhouse, the sisters took care of me so kindly. I was greatly impressed by their wonderful hospitality Also my visit to Assisi and La Verna, where St. Francis got the stigmata, remain strongly in my heart.”
She says, “I hope to pray more deeply day by day.”
Her favorite Bible verses are the following three:
- We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
- Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we could be holy and without fault before him. (Ephesians 1:4)
- God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his sons－this was his pleasure and purpose. (Ephesians 1:5)
