By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Maui-born Marianist Father Francis T. Nakagawa, who served Hawaii with a quiet demeanor and gentle smile as a teacher, parish priest and chaplain to the Japanese-speaking community, among other things, died Feb. 24 at the Marianists’ center in Cupertino, California. He was 90, a religious for 69 years and a priest for 61 years.
Like many children of Japanese immigrants, he was given a Japanese name. It was Tasuku, which means “help,” appropriate for the varied service he offered as a Marianist.
Father Nakagawa was born Sept. 23, 1927, the eighth of nine children of immigrant Buddhist parents from Japan, the only one of his siblings to attend a Catholic school, St. Anthony, Wailuku. There he was baptized and received his Marianist vocation, making his first profession in 1948 with the community of brothers and priests who ministered at the Maui parish and school.
Father Nakagawa received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, his bachelor of sacred theology from Angelicum, Rome, and his licentiate of sacred theology from the University of Fribourg in Fribourg, Switzerland.
He was ordained a priest on July 14, 1957, in Fribourg.
“As a priest I can minister to and help people in a unique way,” Father Nakagawa said on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his ordination in 2007.
“The language my parents gave me is put to good use,” he said.
Father Nakagawa worked as a teacher and chaplain in Marianist schools in Hawaii, Japan, Texas and California.
He taught at St. Anthony School, Wailuku, Saint Louis School, Honolulu, and Chaminade University of Honolulu.
The Marianist also served as a parish priest at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Pearl City, Maria Lanakila in Lahaina, St. John the Baptist in San Lorenzo, California and St. Catherine in Martinez, California.
He was missioned to Japan from 1960 to 1982, where he taught at Marianist Schools in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kyoto and YBU Media Center in Kyoto.
In Hawaii, he was chaplain for the Japanese Catholic Community at St. Stephen Church, Nuuanu, of the Neo-Catechumenal Way at St. John the Baptist Parish, Kalihi; for the Latin Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church, Honolulu; for the Daughters of St. Paul and for Japanese weddings.
As chaplain for the Japanese Catholic Community he served as liaison and host to religious peace delegations from Japan.
For several decades, he welcomed the Japan Religious Committee for the World Federation when it made its annual visit to the downtown cathedral and to the Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony on Dec. 7.
Founded in 1967, the visiting committee is made up of leaders from Japan’s many religious traditions including Buddhist, Shinto, Christian, Islam and others. This interfaith committee prays for world peace, primarily in Japan but also at Pearl Harbor and at international summits.
Led by Father Nakagawa, Hawaii’s Japanese Catholic Community participated in the Japan group’s activities here.
Father Nakagawa retired to the Cupertino Marianist Community in June 2015.
