St Francis Xavier Chapel "Maryknoll" Japanese Catholic Center, 222 S. Hewitt Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Formerly known as "Maryknoll"
Mission Statement
We of Saint Francis Xavier Chapel, as members of the Body of Christ, are called to announce in word and in deed the Good News of the Lord Jesus, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
We recognize our community's call to holiness based on mutuality, reciprocity, and interdependence and its ministry focusing on Japanese Catholics while also welcoming all in our greater community.
Fr. Doan Hoang's Message for Feb 8, 2026
Dear brothers and sisters,
Christians who are the salt of the earth do not need immediately do all kinds of special things, though they might sometime be called to do special things. They do not have to join all kinds of organizations, though they might have to do that eventually. They do not to organize all kinds of prayer groups right away, though they should pray. They do not even have to run out and do all kinds of social work, though that is very useful. Christian who are the salt of the earth should first of all be taste givers and taste makers in our human reality –in this life, in this world, in this country, in this town, in this street, in this home.
As long as salt is not mixed with something, it is too salty, too hot, too bitter, too sharp, too biting, too wounding. If salt is used by itself, it is like the salt torturers use when they beat people with a whip through a towel drenched in salt that is put over their bare buttocks. The salt that is beaten into live flesh and hurts for days on end. Salt alone is unbearable and harmful.
Jesus speaks about the light we are supposed to be. Again, very many Christians will eagerly call themselves the light. They stand in their own light, just like candle in an empty room or a light under an empty bucket stands in its own light, glorifying its own shine. Light alone is useless! Light alone is blinding, light alone does not make you see anything at all. Light alone is the light shone in the eyes of tortured prisoners to make them confess. Light alone hurts.
Light becomes useful when it makes us see things other than itself: The world around us. It becomes of use through us when it responds to what Jesus said of it: “You are the light of the world.” We should make thing visible; we should light up possibilities; we should brighten the world. This is our task and our mission. Every one of us who was baptized received a candle lit from Easter candle: “Receive the light of Christ!”
We should be the salt, but not apart. We should be the light, but not on our own. If we live and act like this, as Jesus Christ did, then we will be consolation to others, we will be salvation, their hope and their comfort. It is that salt and that light that you can find –thank heavens and thank God- all over this world, all over this country, all over this town: People hit and changed by Jesus’s Spirit, the Spirit of love and mercy.
親愛なる兄弟姉妹の皆さん、
地の塩たるクリスチャンは、すぐにあらゆる特別なことをする必要はありません。たとえ時に特別なことを求められても。あらゆる組織に加入する必要もありません。たとえ最終的にはそうしなければならない時が来ても。すぐにあらゆる祈りのグループを組織する必要もありません。祈るべきではありますが。あらゆる社会奉仕に飛び出す必要すらありません。それは非常に有益ではありますが。地の塩たるクリスチャンは、まず何よりも、この人間的な現実——この人生において、この世界において、この国において、この町において、この通りにおいて、この家庭において——において、味を与える者、味を作る者であるべきです。
塩が何かと混ざらない限り、それは塩辛すぎ、辛すぎ、苦すぎ、鋭すぎ、刺すようで、傷つける。塩が単独で使われるなら、それは拷問者が使う塩のようなものだ。裸の臀部に塩を浸したタオルを置き、鞭で叩く。生きた肉に叩き込まれ、何日も痛み続ける塩。単独の塩は耐えがたく有害である。
イエスは、私たちがなるべき光について語られる。再び、非常に多くのクリスチャンは熱心に自らを光と呼ぶだろう。彼らは自らの光の中に立つ。まるで空の部屋の中のろうそくや、空のバケツの下の灯りが自らの光の中に立ち、自らの輝きを誇示するように。光だけでは無意味だ！光だけでは目を眩ませるだけ、光だけでは何も見えはしない。光だけでは拷問を受ける囚人の目に照らされ、自白を強要される光に過ぎない。光だけでは人を傷つける。
光は、それ自体以外のもの―私たちの周りの世界―を見せる時に初めて有用となる。イエスが語った「あなたがたは世界の光である」という言葉に応える時、光は私たちを通して役目を果たすのだ。私たちは物事を可視化し、可能性を照らし出し、世界を明るくすべきだ。これが私たちの任務であり使命である。洗礼を受けた者一人ひとりは復活祭の蝋燭から灯された蝋燭を受け取った。「キリストの光を受けよ！」
私たちは塩となるべきだが、孤立してはならない。私たちは光であるべきだが、独りではいけない。もし私たちがイエス・キリストのように生き、行動するなら、私たちは他者にとって慰めとなり、救いとなり、希望となり、安らぎとなるだろう。その塩であり光である存在が―天に感謝し、神に感謝せよ―この世界の至る所に、この国の至る所に、この町の至る所に存在するのだ。イエスの霊、愛と慈悲の霊に触れ、変えられた人々である。
in-church masses Schedule
Sunday: 8:30 a.m. Japanese Mass
10:00 a.m. English Mass
Saturday: 5:00 p.m. English Vigil Mass/
This week, Fr Doan will be away from Wednesday, Feb 4th, to Friday, Feb. 6th, for his mother's funeral.
Weekday Mass will be cancel Wednesday to Friday this week.
Weekday Masses are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 12:05 p.m.
Weekday Masses are subject to change due to funerals or illness.
First Saturday Devotion: 9:00 a.m., Mass followed by Rosary and Divine Mercy. Confessions are available after the Mass.
Ash Wednesday: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, 12:05 p.m. Mass with Ashes.
Donations
Thank you for your continued support! We are grateful to all who donate to SFXCJCC. We are open for weekend and weekday Masses. And are slowly opening our facility to our ministries and groups.
We are still in need of your financial help! Would you please continue making your Sunday Collection contributions or donating to St Francis Xavier Chapel?
You can mail checks to the office:
SFXCJCC
222 S Hewitt Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
To donate by credit card, click the button below.
Get Involved
Are you passionate about what we're doing? Let us know! We are always looking for volunteers to help us make our vision a reality. We'll help you find a way to volunteer that best suits you. We're excited to have you join the team!
Thank you!
Whether you help through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or spreading our mission through word-of-mouth, thank you. We couldn't accomplish our goals without the help of supporters like you. .