God’s rays of mercy fall upon us in the most unexpected places and often during the most trying of times
During World War II, an unusual but beautiful conversion story would involve God’s rays of mercy in the person of Ida Mancini. Born in Italy, her family had immigrated to the United States when she was two or three years old. Feeling a call to religious life she was guided by the Spirit to Berriz through the Mercedarian Fathers at her parish in Cleveland, Ohio to become a missionary. She thus became the first American to become a Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz.
Although she was originally going to enter the Ursulines, instead she entered the Mercedarian Novitiate in Berriz, Spain where she made her First Profession of Vows in 1932. Said to be a true gift to Berriz, she was soon sent to the Mission of Japan on January 28, 1933. Mother Ida became an English and Piano teacher at the Koen School in Tokyo. She made her Final Vows in 1938, on the Feast of Christ The King. Privileged to have known Mother Margarita, she always showed a true Mercedarian spirit.
By 1941 the effects of World War II were beginning to be felt. These were the moments when the carrying out of the apostolate with respect to the evangelization of Japan became so clear to the sisters. In Easter of 1941, three schoolgirls from the school in Koen were baptized. Even after the war had officially broken out the sisters were able to carry out their apostolate but it was a fight to do so, a dangerous task amidst war.
On August 31, 1942, the Japanese police presented themselves in Koen and announced, that Ida Mancini, because she was an American, would be arrested in a few days. They came to get her on September 16; they allowed only two of the other sisters to accompany her to the train. Upon arrest, it was said that Mother Ida was deeply sorrowful yet outwardly serene. At the same time, 27 religious of the Society of the Sacred Heart and several from Saint Maur were arrested as well.
Mother Ida was allowed visitations by the Mercedarian Sisters on occasion and she continued her work with her companions. Since she was the only Mercedarian Sister, the Sisters of the Sacred Heart welcomed her as one of their own, something for which she always felt indebted.
During her incarceration, she also became friends with an American Protestant Missionary named Ruth Grace Downing. Ruth was a Minister in the Universalist Church. She became a minister in 1927, and worked in Sunburst, North Carolina with black children under the direction of a mission leader. She also taught at the Universalist Church. Then in 1929 she was sent to the Universalist Mission in Japan, where she served as a kindergarten and Sunday School teacher at the Blackmer Home for underprivileged young girls. She was a staunch advocate of the Japan Missions to its American sponsors, writing publicity materials about its work, as well as two stories from Japan. When her mission, which had consolidated with the Congregationalist Church was disbanded, she chose to remain in Japan.
When war was imminent, she heard that the Catholic missionaries were not leaving Japan and said even if she went to prison, she would stay too. She wrote: “I decided to stay, if only to prove that a Protestant’s religion meant as much to a Protestant missionary as a Catholic’s did to a Catholic. …If the result would be prison, I could at least bear witness to my love for Japan and to the fact that war was between governments and not people; if death, then at last I would have found a way to give my savior all.”
In 1942, Ruth was interned with other American Missionaries in the Hospital of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary. It was here that she met Mother Ida Mancini. She said as she looked into the eyes of the Catholic nuns, she found what she had been looking for all her life. Through Mother Britt of the Sacred Heart Sisters and Mother Ida, she began to study Catholic doctrine. She said she could neither understand nor accept what she was studying, but somehow felt the grandeur and security of a church that was leading its people to the Promised Land. For her, internment opened the door to life rather than closing it.
Ruth had a difficult time accepting aspects of the Catholic Faith, such as papal infallibility and the concept of hell, but she said that finally the day came when she could say “I believe.” As she explained it: “Out of the murky depths of war, God’s plan for my life unfolded like a lotus touched by the dawn.”
She dreamed of a new life as a Catholic and wanted to become a Mercedarian sister. She was deeply touched by the life of faith and testimony of Mother Ida Mancini and asked her to help her convert to Catholicism. The Fourth Vow of the Mercedarian sisters was one that held a special place in Ruth’s heart as well. “To lay down one’s life for the salvation of souls.” The hand of God was clearly revealed to Ruth in this vow, as well as the direction for her life.
God had placed Mother Ida Mancini in Japan and in the internment at exactly the right time to evangelize in a most unusual way. Mother Ida was able to explain many things to Ruth because she spoke English and her own life was a true example of a devoted missionary both before and after the war. Mother Ida’s total oblation to God’s service was exactly what Ruth was looking for.
During the war, Ruth stayed in internment with Mother Ida whose own deep spirituality, simplicity and humility helped radically re-orient Ruth’s life. When war finally ended and the sisters had seen their beloved home in Koen reduced to smoking embers, after so many sacrifices had been made to open it, their Fourth Vow animated them to continue to lay down their lives, if necessary, for the salvation of souls. In a letter to Berriz, they said “We have enough courage and enthusiasm to share and we are more encouraged than ever to work until death for those whom God has entrusted to us and to rebuild our school.” At the time they were a community of 11 Spaniards, 5 Japanese and one American, Ida Mancini.
It is recorded that the first joy of the post-war period was the arrival of Ida Mancini to where the MMB sisters were staying in Ichimiya, along with Ruth Downing, who had been baptized Catholic in 1943 at the International Hospital of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary where they had been interned.
Ruth Downing with Mother Ida Mancini, MMB
Ruth became an aspirant with a great desire to become a MMB and to be filled with the spirit of Mother Margarita, whom she so admired. She entered the Mercedarian order in 1946. She made her final vows in 1953 there in Koen, Japan, becoming Mother Maria Mercedes. In her own words: “God was offering me the ‘Pearl of Great Price’. Cost what it might, I was ready to give all the goods of my house and count it as naught.”
Mother Mercedes mission as an English teacher continued in Tokyo-Koen for 18 years and later in Hino until 1971. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1948 and it progressed slowly until she was confined to the Tokyo Daiichi community in 1981 where she lived until her death in 1991. She was a true missionary who lived the apostolate in Japan and died there serving its people.
After the war Mother Ida was tireless in her efforts to help rebuild the School of Koen, even waking up at 4 AM to get to the American base by 8 AM to see about obtaining equipment that could be refurbished for possible use.
After 18 months of rejuvenation in the States, she returned to Japan as the Mistress of Novices, guiding all the MMB Japanese vocations from 1949 to 1968.
One of those sisters, Yasuko Shimizu unabashedly states, “Without her, I might not have deepened my MMB charism as I did, especially my contemplative life with a commitment for liberation. Her talent as an artist and musician helped me to develop my inner spirituality though the arts, music and creativity.” Mother Ida then continued her mission as a Vice-Provincial Councilor and later was the superior of the community of Hagi, until her death in 1968.
God’s rays of mercy have shone through the Mercedarian sisters in so many ways in their apostolate in Japan, but these rays of mercy are ever so beautiful, because it shows how God is at work even in calamity, war and imprisonment. Faith in God can resonate anywhere. Ida Mancini showed us this great grace is possible, as did Mercedes Downing. His mercy truly shines on the MMB Mission of Japan, which still stands today as testimony of His will, love and mercy.
Note: After the Second Vatican Council (c.1968) apostolic religious, who may have been formerly addressed as “Mother,” were then addressed as “Sister” and the traditional habit was adapted to a modified habit, as seen in the initial picture of Sr. Ida Mancini shortly before her death in 1968.
Sources:
+ HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTE
First Foundations: China, Japan Saipan, Ponape and Truk
By: Ma. Isabel Artadi, MMB
+ HISTORY OF THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS OF THE INSTITUTE
From the Letters of Mother Margarita
+ THE CONSTANT TRAITS OF A SPIRIT
M. Margarita Maturana
+ Newspaper article: “From Conversion to Vocation”
By: Mercedes Downing, MMB
