Sister Asunta Nakade is a Japanese nun; of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She has lived in India, in the monastery of Dilkhush Juhu, for the past 40 years.
We are very grateful to her, for her contributions to our India, especially the Archdiocese of Mumbai, with the common development of special children. Let's look back at her journey of faith, her journey to Jesus Christ, her Master.
Sister Asunta Nakade was born in 1937 in Tokyo, into a Buddhist family. Her real name is Keiko. Her father worked for a multi-branch trading company, so she had to change schools often.
At the age of 12 while in Kobe, she had a mysterious encounter with the Catholic Church (and with God himself).
One evening, Keiko saw her neighbors going to church and she followed them. In the chapel next to the church, there is a holy bone of Saint Francis Xavier. She saw a long line of people approaching the altar, one by one, to venerate the relic.
Although she knew nothing about Catholicism at the time, she has and will never forget the experience of that day! Keiko was overwhelmed by the sacred! She later became convinced that it was through Saint Francis Xavier that she received the gift of faith in Jesus Christ.
When Keiko was 13 years old, she was transferred to a seminary of the Franciscan nuns. Once again she was overwhelmed by the holiness of the nuns. She began attending classes on the Catholic faith on Sundays. The experiences of God's presence in her heart were so strong that she wanted to dedicate herself completely to God by joining a convent.
She presented her wish to her parents, but they could not understand. She continued to nurture her faith, and was baptized on August 15, 1950 with three classmates. She took the name "Asunta".
Although her family was Buddhist, her father did not object to her becoming Catholic. Her mother was baptized two years later, and then her brother was also Catholic. Her father wanted to keep Buddhism as the family religion, so he did not baptize.
At the age of 19, Asunta visited the Convent of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Yokosuka, under the direction of a Jesuit priest. She was attracted to monastic life, especially the daily hours of Eucharistic Adoration. She wanted to dedicate her life to Jesus Christ.
After graduation, she expressed her desire to join the convent; Her mother, because of her disapproval, was very painful when she lost her only daughter. But, her father was a Buddhist, but he understood what it meant to follow Jesus and he did not object. He advised her to be faithful, and to never look back.
Asunta entered the novitiate on November 13, 1962; along with 20 others. She made her first vows on February 11, 1965, and after three years of experience in the novitiate, she made her lifelong vows on August 15, 1972.
Four years later, she arrived in India on July 6, 1976. In India, Sister Asunta joined a small community of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart in Dilkhush, Juhu. At that time there were five foreign nuns, who were overseeing a school for mentally disabled children.
During the first 3 months, she found it difficult to adjust to the new environment. Sister Asunta was appointed as a teacher for the elementary school.
“It is not easy dealing with them, but the charism of our order is the adoration of the Eucharistic Jesus, it is my source of strength and joy,” she said. Experiencing Christ's mysterious presence in the Eucharist is like seeing Christ in you. When God loves children, they become lovable.”
“These special children are a special gift from God to me, here in India. I had a wonderful time teaching and learning from them, so many experiences of love, sensitivity and care from them!”
Sister Asunta is a waitress. She was always present in all activities of St. Joseph's Parish in Juhu. She loves to visit families in the parish, and even at the age of 79, she still goes to give the Eucharist to the sick and those who cannot leave their homes because of illness!
She had a great heart for the poor. She goes out of her way to help them, whether it's educating poor children or assisting with the medical needs of HIV patients.
She is very popular among the poor from Madh Island to Dadar! Any poor person who comes to the center in Dilkhush, will not return empty-handed, without receiving a cold drink or snack from Sister Asunta from time to time. Grandma would be very upset if they weren't served food.
In addition, she helped many broken families; put them together and in most cases go very well.
On her birthday or special occasions, many poor people come here with their families to congratulate, and show their gratitude. And on the 50th anniversary of her religious profession in 2010, she wanted to have a special celebration just for the poor.
Therefore, we invited all the poor with whom she had the opportunity to gather together. It's great that they organize all the celebrations for Sister Asunta themselves. The event ends with a meal.
Sister Asunta said, “India is a land of contemplation. The Holy Spirit works in silence, and leads us to experience the presence of God and His unconditional love. These three ‘Cs’ are my guiding stars: ‘Contemplation, Communion and Compassion’.”
Now nearing the age of 80, Nakade is preparing to return to her native Japan.
She said she has a great admiration for Mother Teresa, whom she met when she visited Dilkhush School for Special Children.
Nakade also said she is a big fan of Pope Francis, “a person who promotes the inclusion of the excluded into society.”
