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A Journey Beyond Borders: Fr. Osvaldo Cavallar, SVD, and His Mission in Japan
From the Alps to the Land of the Rising Sun
What leads an Italian from Western Europe to dedicate his life to a country so distinct from his own?
Fr. Cavallar offers two answers, one lighthearted and one deeply personal.
“You know Marco Polo, from Venice, traveled to China. I come from just north of Venice and thought, why not go further—not China, but Japan?” he quips.
But the real turning point came during his student days in Rome when he encountered Fr. Johannes Erzmeyer, then-president of Nanzan University in Japan.
The university was planning to establish a history department, and Fr. Cavallar, a young scholar with a passion for history, was invited to “just come and see.”
Without overthinking, he accepted the invitation, embarking on a journey that would shape his life’s mission.
Encountering Japan: A Tapestry of History and Modernity
Arriving in Japan, Fr. Cavallar was struck not just by the country’s technological advancements but by its deep cultural heritage.
“You cannot cancel the weight of history by looking only at technology,” he explains. “Japan is a blend of efficiency and speed, yet it carries with it an ancient tradition—art, literature, Kabuki, martial arts, and religion.”
For him, to truly understand Japan, one must look beyond its modern facade and appreciate its spiritual depth, rooted in Buddhism and Shintoism.
“If you ignore tradition, you miss something essential about the Japanese people,” he reflects.
Mission in Academia: A Learner Before a Teacher
Fr. Cavallar’s missionary work took shape in an unconventional setting—a university classroom. As a history professor at Nanzan University, he found himself more of a learner than a teacher.
“I see myself as someone who is learning, not just imparting knowledge,” he says.
His academic focus on European legal history and medieval political thought offered Japanese students an entirely new perspective. He challenged them to see law not just as a government decree but as a historical development shaped by jurists over centuries.
“In Japan and China, law is seen as something the state creates. But in European tradition, law was shaped by independent legal scholars and thinkers,” he explains.
Bringing this historical context to Japanese students was a challenge, but also a unique opportunity for dialogue between Eastern and Western thought.
Faith in Dialogue: Christianity in a Non-Christian Land
In a society where Christianity is a minority faith, how does a missionary bring Christ’s light without overt evangelization?
Fr. Cavallar believes in witnessing through action rather than words. “You don’t show Christianity by talking—you show it by example,” he asserts.
One simple act, he recalls, left a profound impact. “A non-Christian student once came into my office while I was having lunch. I had a sandwich and offered him half. Years later, he got baptized. That small gesture made a difference.”
For him, the essence of mission in Japan lies in presence and dialogue. Nanzan University, with its Institute for Religion and Culture, has been a fertile ground for these exchanges.
“It’s about being present, not oppressive. Engaging without indoctrinating,” he explains.
Challenges and Reflections After 44 Years
Despite his deep integration into Japanese academic and cultural life, Fr.Cavallar acknowledges the challenges.
Teaching at the University of Chicago before returning to Japan offered a contrasting experience.
“The academic environment in Chicago was exciting,” he admits, “but I chose to return to Japan, though maybe I should have said no.”
Does he measure his mission in terms of success? “No,” he says.
“A missionary’s impact isn’t counted in numbers—churches built, people baptized. If I’ve made even one person stop and think, that’s enough for me.”
A Call to the Next Generation
For young people discerning their vocation, Fr. Cavallar offers a simple yet powerful message: take on challenges.
“Missionary life is not about certainty, but about stepping into the unknown and learning along the way,” he says. “In academia, in life, the question is: are you breaking new ground? Are you making an impact on others?”
As he reflects on his decades in Japan, he sums up his philosophy with humility: “I don’t think about my impact. I just do what seems right, and I leave the rest to the Lord.”
The Legacy of a Missionary Historian
In a rapid-fire session, Fr. Cavallar gives us glimpses of his personal favorites—Sashimi over pasta, Saint Francis over Saint Peter, and Bartolo da Sassoferrato as his favorite medieval legal figure.
Asked to describe Japan in one word, he simply replies: “Japan.”
And his message to a global audience? “Be yourself.”
A missionary, a historian, a bridge between cultures—Fr. Osvaldo Cavallar, SVD, continues to shine the light, not with grand proclamations, but with a quiet, persistent presence in the land he now calls home.
GMD
