Brazil Hozo Shrine Festival
Festival Transmitted Realtime to Other Latin American Countries via Internet
In Brazil, the 54th Brazil Hozo Shrine Festival and the 26th Memorial Service for the Neglected Souls of Aborted Children were held from April 3 to 4 at the Brazil Hozo Shrine in Ibiuna, Sao Paulo. The number of soul registers installed was 2,651,525.
The number of people who attended the Festival was 16,121. The Festival was transmitted on the Internet to Missionary Branches in Brazil as well as other Latin American countries, as was the case last year. The transmission reached 904 sites, which exceeded by far last year’s 167. This enabled people in distant places, who could not attend in the past, to attend in the areas of their residence. This also contributed to a large reduction in CO2 emissions.
The main festival took place from 9:30 a.m. on April 4. There was a reading of the Holy Sutra, Nectarean Shower of Holy Doctrines by the attendees for newly-memorialized souls. The Memorial Service for the Neglected Souls of Aborted Children was held from 1:00 p.m.
At the end of the Festival, Rev. Marie Murakami, Chairperson of the Brazil Missionary Headquarters, expressed her appreciation to the leaders, who helped with preparations and promotion, attendees and those who participated via the Internet, and said, “To memorialize the souls via the soul registers brings happiness to the family and betters society, and Brazil and other countries will receive its benefits.”
Comments received from the attendees included: “I lost my oldest daughter right after she was born. I was deeply saddened and lost hope. But as I read the Holy Sutra, I came to know that she is a child of God, is blessed by God and is happy.”
Remarks by Rev. Yoshio Mukai, Bishop of Seicho-No-Ie Latin America
“We memorialize the soul registers submitted by many people and pray for the happiness of their ancestors in the spiritual world. Thanks to it, the Humanity Enlightenment Movement/International Peace by Faith Movement is growing steadily. Because of our television and radio programs, there are Enlightenment Classes where newcomers account for nearly 30 percent. The number of attendees is increasing. From now on I would like to do my best to promote the Movement with the seen and the unseen worlds working together.”