Father George Minamiki, S.J.
(22nd September 1919 - 4th January 2002)

The founder of the Japan Club

As with all Memorial Masses for those who have gone home to God, there is a mixture of joy and sadness.  Sadness, because a dear one has departed, a brother, an uncle, a fellow Jesuit, a good friend.  And joy because the victory has been won: no more pain, suffering, anxiety---only an eternity of happiness with God and all of the angels and saints in heaven.  Thus we must be thankful because George Minamiki has made it! Certainly George lived a remarkable life.  Trying to piece together his biography for the California, Chicago and Japanese provinces has been no easy task.  There have been many highlights which brought him joy and happiness as well as deep sorrow and pain.  Maryknoll, Loyola High School, a summa cum laude at Loyola University and then the sad, unjust months of the internment camp.  In early 1945 George entered the Society of Jesus.  He made his novitiate on both the East and West coasts; his philosophy at Mount St. Michaels in Spokane.  Then came a wonderful regency, teaching English and religion at Rokko Gakuin in Japan followed by four years of Theology at Alma College, California. It was at Alma that many of us got to know George well.  We enjoyed his humor, his infectious smile, his availability for anyone who had a problem with his studies.  He was teased a great deal but managed to give as much as he received.  George was a great friend of so many of us; and that friendship continued throughout the years. He was ordained with us in 1954.  And we all remember fondly meeting George’s mother at that time.  Her gentle kindness certainly stole the show; what a gracious and beautiful lady. After theology George went to tertianship, our second novitiate, in France while the rest of us poor souls trudged off to Port Townsend in gloomy northern Washington. In 1956 George returned to Japan, where after a year of language studies, he taught English and ethics in Eiko Gakuen.  In 1956 he was assigned to Hiroshima Gakuin, where he taught English and was student chaplain.  He made his solemn profession on Feb. 2, 1962, and was formally transcribed to the Japan Province.  He made it quite clear that upon his death he wished to be cremated and his ashes placed in the crypt with his Jesuit brothers in the Jesuit Church in Tokyo. From 1962 until 1966 he served as principal of Hiroshima Gakuin, while also teaching English.  He was a very brilliant Jesuit, so what he learned about high school education in Japan at Rokko Gakuin and Eiko Gakuin he applied to his new work as principal.  Hiroshima Gakuin was just beginning and had no reputation to attract good students.  So he worked out a very precise English course and increased the hours of English from 6 to 8 hours a week.  Then he, personally, spent many evening hours a week to learn statistics to make a system that could raise the level of the school.  The result was that in four years the standard and reputation of Hiroshima Gakuin were so high that when those students graduated they entered many well-known universities. The final phase of George’s life was spent at Notre Dame.  Here for many years he taught Japanese language and culture, directed the Notre Dame-Sophia University student exchange programs, lived in the apartments and dorms, counseled students, gave retreats, together with a multitude of other activities.  His life was busy but he always managed to return to his province in Japan yearly to take care of academic and personal affairs. Just a few short days ago, George and his nephew Alfred visited Fr. Heney and myself here at the Jesuit community.  We had a delightful lunch.  George was very upbeat and certainly gave no indication that he had finished his work here on earth.  He did tell us how much he had enjoyed his home visit and that now refreshed he was ready to return for another semester at Norte Dame.  And the Lord surprised him; instead He called him to another and far better home. His Jesuit friends at Norte Dame have expressed their loss at George’s death.  He was a great community man and they enjoyed his frequent visits very much.  One of the Holy Cross Fathers to whom George taught Japanese remarked that he was one of the best teachers he had had in all of his studies.  And so the tributes and the memories go on. He is now in God’s hands where he in turn will pray for you, for all of us.  We thank God his 82 years on earth and ask God to reward him for his fidelity, his love for his family, and his generosity as a friend, with an eternity in heaven. (This obituary has been compiled from the homily at the Memorial Mass for Fr. Minamiki by Fr. Terrance L. Mahan, S.J., the California Province News, and the contribution of Fr. Nobuyuki Kimura.)

 

To the right is the homily that
was read at the funeral mass
of Father Minamiki in 2002.

Please scroll down to read about
the service project that we will
be doing in his name.

The Minamiki Files

Also check out his
Sushi Night webpage!
It is filled with pictures
from a fun club event in
the fall of 1999

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His contribution to the club cannot be measured. Part of his legacy lies in his efforts to preserve some of the history of the club online.
Recently recovered, these PDF files offer us valuable insight into the clubs past, their events, members, and way of life.

Fr. Minamiki's Files

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よろしくおねがいします！

Fr. Minamiki Memorial service project: 千羽鶴 - One Thousand Cranes In the spring we are planning our greatest service project ever: the making of one thousand cranes which will then be donated to a local hospital, following the myth that one who makes one thousand cranes will be granted one wish or cured of sickness. And if everyone in the club works together, plus all the people taking Japanese we'll have a thousand cranes in no time. What do we need to make Senbatsuru: 1. 1000 papers of origamis, regular size. If you want to keep the Senbatsuru small, you can use smaller paper The colors should necessarily be pretty or laminated. Subtle colors will do 2. 20 firm, strong, and thin strings (one color/different colors are fine) (around 1.1m, 3.6ft?) 3. 20 beads 4. Needle. 5. Ribbon (if we wanted to put our group names. You can also replace it with Kusudama if time allows) Kusudama: http://origami.waypoint.jp/content/view/17/34/   How to make Senbatsuru: (50 cranes in each strings. 20 strings in all. 1000 cranes in all) (alternative 40 cranes in each strings and 25 strings in all)   The Procedures 1. First make 1000 cranes. 2. Prepare one string and tie one bead at the end (this will ensure the last crane won't fall off at the end) 3. Using a neede, poke threw the crane from the bottom out of its back(there's always a tiny hole under the crane) (sounds kind of bizzare but yea...oh well) 4. Put 50 cranes on each strings 5. Do numbers 2-4 twenty times. 6. When all 20 strings are done, tie the top tightly together. 7. Tie a ribbon (or Kusudama) and we're done!!   Certain rules for Senbatsuru: 1. The head or the tail cannot be folded. (When these are folded, the head of the crane looks down. It might signify the person we give the crane will not recover. 2. No black or gold. (Black doesn't seem to have any special meanings but will be hard if we are to make color graduations. Gold alludes to the funeral car.)   How to make Senbatsuru look pretty: 1. Make each lines of Senbatsuru in color graduation. (On each string: Warm colors, light to dark   Cold colors, light to dark) 2. Get firm, strong, and thin strings for the Senbatsuru (it will be sad if we have all the cranes and not be able to put them up because the strings cannot withstand the weight of the cranes) (this can be in just one color or in different colors) 3. Do not pull the wings out of the cranes (this also makes it look prettier)   For more information about this, please visit these sites (note: Japanese) １）千羽鶴とは ２）千羽鶴の作り方 ３）千羽鶴作成支援サイト ４)　千羽鶴の作り方

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