Our Lady of Akita
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of Akita is the title of Marian apparitions reported in 1973 by
Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in the remote area of Yuzawadai, near the city of Akita
in Japan. The messages emphasize prayer and penance
. Sister Sasagawa stated that the Virgin Mary told her: "Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary
. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach."
An unusual nature of the apparitions was that unlike other case, the entire nation of Japan was able to view the tears of the statue of the Virgin Mary on national television.
. After going totally deaf, she went to live with the nuns in the remoteness of Yuzawadai in Akita prefecture.
and a weeping statue of the Virgin Mary which, it is said, continued to weep over the next 6 years on 101 occasions. The nuns at Yuzawadai also reported stigmata on the statue, as well as on the hands of Sister Agnes. The stigmata on the statue is said to have appeared before the tears started, and disappeared after the tears.
In June 1988 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI
) as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gave definitive judgement on Our Lady of Akita events and messages as reliable and worthy of belief.
Sister Agnes only reported three messages from the Blessed Virgin during 1973, but the Virgin Mary Statue is reported to have continued to weep thereafter. The statue of the Virgin Mary at Akita is carved from a single block of wood from a tree and is about three feet tall. Sister Agnes reported that she first heard the statue calling her, and then the first message began.
Sister Agnes reports that in the first message the Virgin Mary asked her to recite a prayer of reparation together, and told her in 1973 that her deafness will be cured. The other reported messages ask for the praying of the rosary
and to pray to repair the sins of others, as Acts of Reparation
. The second message is said to have included the following:
The third alleged message warned of possible worldwide calamities if men did not repent and emphasized the need to pray the rosary. It allegedly stated that it was the final message to Sister Agnes and is said to have ended with the statement:
During a Sunday Mass
in 1982, Sister Agnes was totally cured from her deafness. Bishop
John Shojiro Ito of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Niigata who had been an eyewitness to some of the events at Akita initially approved the apparition in 1984. In 1988 he went to Rome
to consult with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI
). As the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Ratzinger formally approved Our Lady of Akita as supernatural
and worthy of belief.
, the strongest in the recorded history of earthquakes in Japan. Akita prefecture experienced fire damage and flooding as a result of the earthquake, as did other parts of northern Japan.
John Haffert (Co-Founder of the Blue Army of Fatima) speaks on the Apparitions at Akita.
Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in the remote area of Yuzawadai, near the city of Akita
Akita, Akita
is the capital city of Akita Prefecture in the Tohoku region of Japan.As of June 11, 2005, with the merger of the former Kawabe District , the city has an estimated population of 323,310 and density of...
in Japan. The messages emphasize prayer and penance
Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church)
In the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is the method by which individual men and women may be freed from sins committed after receiving the sacrament of Baptism...
. Sister Sasagawa stated that the Virgin Mary told her: "Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach."
An unusual nature of the apparitions was that unlike other case, the entire nation of Japan was able to view the tears of the statue of the Virgin Mary on national television.
Background
For several decades, Agnes Sasagawa had encountered many health problems as a result of a poorly performed appendix operation and was immobile for over a decade. Her health reportedly improved after drinking water from LourdesLourdes
Lourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
. After going totally deaf, she went to live with the nuns in the remoteness of Yuzawadai in Akita prefecture.
Apparitions
In 1973 Sister Agnes reported apparitions of the Virgin Mary, as well as stigmataStigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
and a weeping statue of the Virgin Mary which, it is said, continued to weep over the next 6 years on 101 occasions. The nuns at Yuzawadai also reported stigmata on the statue, as well as on the hands of Sister Agnes. The stigmata on the statue is said to have appeared before the tears started, and disappeared after the tears.
In June 1988 Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
) as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, gave definitive judgement on Our Lady of Akita events and messages as reliable and worthy of belief.
Sister Agnes only reported three messages from the Blessed Virgin during 1973, but the Virgin Mary Statue is reported to have continued to weep thereafter. The statue of the Virgin Mary at Akita is carved from a single block of wood from a tree and is about three feet tall. Sister Agnes reported that she first heard the statue calling her, and then the first message began.
Sister Agnes reports that in the first message the Virgin Mary asked her to recite a prayer of reparation together, and told her in 1973 that her deafness will be cured. The other reported messages ask for the praying of the rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
and to pray to repair the sins of others, as Acts of Reparation
Acts of reparation
In the Roman Catholic tradition, an Act of Reparation is a prayer or devotion with the intent to repair the "sins of others", e.g. for the repair of the sin of blasphemy, the sufferings of Jesus Christ or as Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary...
. The second message is said to have included the following:
- "Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console Him to soften the anger of the Heavenly Father. I wish, with my Son, for souls who will repair by their suffering and their poverty for the sinners and ingrates."
The third alleged message warned of possible worldwide calamities if men did not repent and emphasized the need to pray the rosary. It allegedly stated that it was the final message to Sister Agnes and is said to have ended with the statement:
- "Those who place their confidence in me will be saved."
During a Sunday Mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
in 1982, Sister Agnes was totally cured from her deafness. Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
John Shojiro Ito of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Niigata who had been an eyewitness to some of the events at Akita initially approved the apparition in 1984. In 1988 he went to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
to consult with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
). As the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Ratzinger formally approved Our Lady of Akita as supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
and worthy of belief.
March 2011 earthquake
According to Japanese officials, the Diocese of Sendai, about 90 miles from the Akita shrine was the hardest hit area in the 9.0 magnitude Tōhoku March 2011 earthquake2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
, the strongest in the recorded history of earthquakes in Japan. Akita prefecture experienced fire damage and flooding as a result of the earthquake, as did other parts of northern Japan.
See also
- Acts of ReparationActs of reparationIn the Roman Catholic tradition, an Act of Reparation is a prayer or devotion with the intent to repair the "sins of others", e.g. for the repair of the sin of blasphemy, the sufferings of Jesus Christ or as Acts of Reparation to the Virgin Mary...
- Marian apparition
- Three Secrets of FatimaThree Secrets of FatimaThe Three Secrets of Fátima consist of a series of visions and prophecies given by an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to three young Portuguese shepherds, Lúcia Santos and her cousins Jacinta and Francisco Marto, starting on 13 May 1917. The three children claimed to have been visited by a...
- Visions of Jesus and MaryVisions of Jesus and MarySince the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Calvary until today, a number of people have claimed to have had visions of Christ and personal conversations with him. Some people make similar claims regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary. Discussions about the authenticity of these visions have often invited...
Media
John Haffert (Co-Founder of the Blue Army of Fatima) speaks on the Apparitions at Akita.