A letter from Fr. Wilhelm Kleinsorge SJ (1907-1977), Hiroshima, to Fr. Gerald McCann OFM Cap., Capuchin Publications Office, Dublin. Kleinsorge was a German Jesuit missionary who survived the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in Japan on 6 August 1945. He was one of at least four Jesuit priests living in the Japanese city at the time of the attack. Miraculously, their church (located just one kilometre from ground zero) largely withstood the explosion and all four missionaries survived. It is believed that the solidity of the church and the adjoining Jesuit mission house contributed to their survival as many of the surrounding wooden buildings were simply obliterated. As noted in his letter, Kleinsorge continued to suffer from the lingering effects of the attack for years afterwards. The extract reads:
‘By the way: I myself learned very much about Ireland’s history etc. by reading the “Father Mathew Record”. When I studied philosophy in the Jesuit College at Pullach near Munich (21 years ago!) 5 or 6 Irish scholastics were with me there and were always good friends. But that was 20 years ago, and now I am working almost 15 years in Japan. For several years I was teaching German in our College at Kobe, but since 1943 I am in Hiroshima. I went here just in time not to miss the historic A-Bomb and even till now I did not recover completely from the after-effects. Last year I was again in the hospital for over 5 months, but since November I am back in Hiroshima.
I hope you and the good Irish people will help us pray and I am sure, that God will help us. Well good bye then, dear Father. I hope you will not have to wait for my next letter as long as you had to wait for this one. Please don’t forget us and the Japanese people in your prayers and be sure, we will not forget you too.
In amore Christi
Yours ever gratefully
Wilhelm Kleinsorge SJ
My best regards to Fr. Senan. Isn’t it a nice photo of Fr. Senan in the Annual! And yours too (of course!)’.
