A light in the silence: Divine Word priest shares quiet witness in Japan

In a world of fast-paced change and noisy declarations, Divine Word Fr. Osvaldo Cavallar stands as a quiet but radiant witness. 

For the past 44 years, this Italian missionary from Trento has made Japan his home—not to build cathedrals or preach on corners, but to embody the Gospel through presence, scholarship, and humility. 

In a land where faith is often lived in silence, Cavallar shines not through words, but through a life rooted in listening, learning, and living the message of Christ. 

As a professor and historian at Nanzan University, his quiet mission reveals a powerful and enduring form of witness—one that bridges cultures and hearts in unexpected ways.

From the Alps to Nagoya: A Journey of Openness

“I didn’t plan to be in Japan for decades,” he says with a smile. “I just said yes.” That simple “yes” was in response to an invitation from Fr. Johannes Erzmeyer, then-president of Nanzan University in Nagoya, who encouraged the young historian to “just come and see.” 

At the time, Cavallar was studying in Rome. He had met some Japanese students who shared his love for mountain climbing and admired their kindness and discipline. 

That, paired with a curiosity to go “further than Marco Polo,” who famously reached China, led him to say yes to Japan.

What he found there was a land of striking contrasts—hypermodern and yet deeply traditional. 

“You cannot cancel the weight of history by looking only at technology,” Cavallar reflects. “Japan is efficient, fast, and clean, yes—but it also treasures its ancient literature, art, Kabuki theatre, martial arts, and religious traditions.”

A Mission Grounded in Learning, Not preaching.

As a professor of history at Nanzan University, Cavallar’s classroom became his mission ground. His specialty—European legal history and medieval political thought—offered his Japanese and international students insights into a legal culture shaped not by governments but by jurists. 

“In Japan and China, law is seen as created by the state" Scholars shaped European tradition, he explains. “It’s not something handed down—it’s something built from the ground up.”

He believes his true role is not to teach, but to learn. From the Zen traditions of posture, silence, and meditation, he has drawn inspiration for Christian contemplation. 

“You don’t have to be on your knees,” he says. “You can sit, breathe, and relax—and in doing so, you might even go deeper in prayer.”

Cavallar is clear: the mission in Japan doesn’t look like it does elsewhere. 

“You don’t evangelize by talking,” he insists. “You witness by example.” 

He recalls a moment when a non-Christian student entered his office during lunch. Cavallar offered him half a sandwich. Years later, the student underwent baptism. 

“It was nothing extraordinary,” he says. “Just a sandwich. But maybe it meant something more.”

His approach to presence—subtle, respectful, and consistent—reflects the ethos of the Society of the Divine Word in contexts where Christianity is a minority. 

“It’s not about clerical power or dominance,” he adds. “Your identity as a missionary doesn’t come from wearing a collar. It must come from within.”

Seeds of Impact and a Quiet Invitation

Even in the academic space, he resists measuring success by numbers. 

“I don’t count baptisms or churches. If even one person stops and thinks, that’s enough,” he says. 

His humility is striking—so too is his realism. He admits that teaching at the University of Chicago was intellectually thrilling, and, in hindsight, maybe he should have stayed. 

But he returned to Japan, drawn back by something deeper than academic prestige. “I just do what seems right to me and leave the rest to the Lord,” he says simply.

To young people discerning their calling, Cavallar offers encouragement, not certainty. 

“Missionary life is about taking on challenges. Are you breaking new ground? Are you making an impact? That’s what matters.” 

When asked how he sees his impact after 44 years, he pauses. “I don’t know,” he shrugs. “I don’t think about it. Otherwise, I’d start measuring myself by the wrong standards.”

Cavallar shares his personal preferences for sashimi over pasta, Saint Francis over Saint Peter, and Bartolo da Sassoferrato as his favorite medieval legal thinker, citing his writings against tyrants. 

Asked to describe Japan in one word, he simply replies, “Japan.” What is his message to the global audience following the 150th anniversary of the Society of the Divine Word? He doesn’t hesitate: “Be yourself.”

In his quiet, thoughtful way, Osvaldo Cavallar continues to embody the mission of the Divine Word—not through loud declarations, but through a consistent, contemplative presence in the lives of those around him. 

In the university halls of Nagoya, through lectures, shared meals, and humble witness, he has sown seeds that will continue to grow—often unseen, always guided by grace.