Cardinal Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo remembered Professor Junko Arakaki as a faithful servant of the Church through music, during a memorial Mass that celebrated the composer’s lasting influence on liturgical life in Japan.
The prelate shared reflections from the memorial and his personal tribute to Arakaki in a blog post published on March 16, offering further insight into the composer’s impact on the Church and his own experiences with Arakaki’s music.
Held last month at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Tokyo, the service gathered clergy, religious, and lay faithful who sang Arakaki’s hymns in tribute to the man whose music became an integral part of Catholic worship. Arakaki died on October 2, 2024, at the age of 85.
In his homily, Cardinal Kikuchi praised Arakaki for dedicating his musical talent to the service of the Church, describing his work as a faithful witness to the Gospel.
“I believe that Mr. Arakaki’s life was one of testimony to the gospel, in which he dedicated his musical talent to the realization of God’s plan, not for his own ideas, plans, or glory,” the cardinal said.
“His music became a source of hope for many people precisely because he dedicated his talent to the realization of God’s plan. This is because music leads us to God, the source of hope,” he added.
Referring to the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the prelate underscored that music holds a vital place in the liturgy.
He stressed that sacred music, particularly hymns integrated with Scripture, is not merely an enhancement but a fundamental element of worship that fosters active participation among the faithful.
The prelate further noted that liturgical music serves to deepen prayer and foster unity among worshippers. “Church music cannot exist apart from the liturgy, and is always created with the deepening of prayer in mind, with the intention of enriching and deepening the liturgy,” he said.
Cardinal Arakaki, he added, embodied the true vocation of a church musician through his dedication to composing numerous hymns that became lasting gifts to the Church. His life, the cardinal noted, was a faithful and complete response to this calling.
Although Cardinal Kikuchi was not formally taught by Arakaki during his time in the seminary, he shared that he had admired the composer’s work from early on.
As a seminarian, the cardinal had written several liturgical songs for his community, and Arakaki served as a figure of inspiration in his musical efforts.
The cardinal also shared a personal memory from 2008, when, as bishop of Niigata, he recommended Arakaki to compose a school song for the centennial celebration of the Holy Spirit School in Akita.
“Mr. Arakaki gladly accepted, and wrote the school song, which begins with ‘Spring blooms, a sacred breath,’” Kikuchi recounted. “I had the opportunity to speak to Mr. Arakaki directly at the commemorative ceremony held at the Akita Prefectural Civic Hall on November 1st of that year.”
Concluding his homily, Cardinal Kikuchi reaffirmed the Christian hope in life after death and expressed confidence that Arakaki’s contributions would have a lasting impact.
He said he believes that Arakaki is now united with God in eternity, continuing to offer praise, and pledged to build upon the musical legacy the composer left to the Church.
