Brief History

An overview of the history and development of Una Voce Japan

1. Foundation

Inspired by Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum (July 2007), which eased the requirements for celebrating the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, a group of lay faithful in Tokyo founded Una Voce Japan in March 2011.

At that time, there were no priests in Japan whose ministry centered on the traditional liturgy of the Extraordinary Form. For this reason, we invited Canon Raphael Katsuyuki Ueda, a member of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, who was then serving in the United States, to provide spiritual guidance from the very beginning of our organization.

Biography of Canon Raphael Katsuyuki Ueda

  • Born in Kobe in 1968; graduate of Hyogo Prefectural High School; former student of Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

  • 1995 – Baptized at Shimoyamate Catholic Church in Kobe by Fr. Takayama; later that year traveled alone to Quebec, Canada

  • October 2001 – Entered the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest in Italy

  • July 2009 – Ordained to the priesthood

  • After ordination, assigned to pastoral ministry in the United States; currently serving in the Diocese of San Jose, California

2. Encounter with the Late Fr. Toshio Ikeda

In the autumn of 2011, we met the late Fr. Toshio Ikeda, a member of the Society of St. Paul. Through his generosity, we were able to use the chapel of the St. Paul House in Wakaba, Tokyo, where we celebrated the Extraordinary Form of the Mass twice a month on Sundays for approximately seven years and four months.

With the kind permission of the Archdiocese of Tokyo, these Masses were also listed in the official Tokyo Archdiocesan News under the section for Mass schedules and announcements.

Biography of Fr. Toshio Ikeda

  • Born in Miyazaki City in 1928

  • 1946 – Entered the Society of St. Paul

  • 1957 – Ordained to the priesthood in Rome

  • 1957–1971 – Teacher at St. Paul Gakuen High School

  • 1976–1979 – Vice Provincial of the Society of St. Paul in Japan

  • 1976–1988 – Chairman of the Board of St. Paul Gakuen High School

  • Passed away on March 31, 2019