Br Manuel Hernández (JPN) was presented a certificate of merit from the National Commission for Prison Chaplains and Counselors on October 18. In this article, he wrote about the occasion.

The Ministry of Justice presented me with a certificate of merit from the National Commission for Prison Chaplains and Counselors, on 18 October, in recognition of the years I have spent working with men in prisons and youth in reformatories.

I was invited to the Akasaka Palace on 28 October for an afternoon garden party attended by the Imperial Family. Despite the rain and the fact that it was a chilly day, they spent an hour circulating through the tents where the 1,500 of us were feasting on various meats and drinks. Being able to meet and speak with the Imperial Family made it a truly memorable day for me.

Later the Minister of Justice hosted a reception for me, as a member of the Prison Chaplains Board, and a woman Counselor accompanied by her husband. The Minister’s proxy read out a record of the work I had done and a commemorative photograph was taken. I thank God and the Society for that day’s experience.