Archbishop Tatsuo Doi

The origin of the cathedra

The records show that Catholic Kanda Church had been used as a temporary cathedral (pro-cathedral) until the new cathedral was built in Tsukiji during the era of the first Ordinary of the Archdiocese Pierre Osouf. Furthermore, when the cathedral of Sekiguchi was lost due to an air raid during the World WarⅡ, it was used again as the cathedral of the Archdiocese from 1952 to 1964. Here we displayed the seat that Archbishop Doi (the photograph above) used as the cathedra.

We, Kanda Church consider it our mission to pray for our Archbishop of Tokyo Archdiocese, as well as to appreciate all former bishops who took heavy responsibilities on leading our Archdiocese.

We also pray for a lot of priests (among them was the present Cardinal Shirayanagi) who were ordained by Cardinal Doi sitting on this cathedra.

Furthermore, we meditate continuously on the meaning of the cathedral as which this church was used, and aim to be the ‘mother church’ that is to consider for other churches in Tokyo. It is the reason why we ask St. Mary, the mother of the Church to convey our desire and protect us, and we hold this cathedra under the statue of St. Mary.

(a photograph below)

**A ’cathedral’ means a church where a seat of a bishop (cathedra) was settled, and it carries the mission as a mother church of the diocese.

An Interior of Kanda Church When It Had the Cathedra