Last month on 15^th August 2024, the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven, a Japanese nun, Sr Agnes Sasagawa, passed away at the age of 93. Sister Agnes lived her entire religious life in the obscurity of a convent, hidden from the eyes of the world. Most Catholics would never have known of her existence, had it not been for the truly remarkable events of 1973 when our Our Lady granted Sr Agnes a number of locutions between 12^th June and 13^th October in which she communicated to her startling predictions concerning a great crisis and trial for the Church, and a call to repentance for the world that reiterated in many aspects the message of Our Lady at Fatima.

 

The Catholic faithful are generally well-acquainted with the Marian apparitions at Lourdes and Fatima, and the messages given to these simple, saintly youths (Bernadette Soubirous, Francisco and Jacinta Marto and Lucia dos Santos). In my experience, far fewer Catholics (even very devout practising Catholics), have heard of the apparitions of Our Lady of Akita, in Japan to Sr Agnes Sasagawa, in 1973. The story of Our Lady of Akita is compelling for a number of reasons. Firstly, Japan is not a Christian nation. In fact, Catholics only comprise about 0.34% of the population. Sr Agnes was herself a convert to Catholicism from Buddhism and joined the convent not long after her conversion. She had been plagued by ill health and had become profoundly deaf before entering the convent.

 

While still a novice Sr Agnes reported that the extraordinary events began on 12^th June, 1973, when for three consecutive days she observed rays of light emanating from the Tabernacle. On the 28^th June a cross-shaped wound suddenly appeared on the palm of Sr Agnes’ left hand that was extremely painful and bled profusely. The convent chapel contained a locally-carved wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that stood about three feet high. On the 6^th July 1973 Sr Agnes heard a voice coming from the statue. According to Sr Agnes Our Lady conveyed to her the following message, which she later recorded, as follows:

 

Message of 6^th July 1973

"My daughter, my novice, you have obeyed me well in abandoning all to follow me. Is the infirmity of your ears painful? Your deafness will be healed, be sure. Does the wound of your hand cause you to suffer? Pray in reparation for the sins of men. Each person in this community is my irreplaceable daughter. Do you say well the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist? Then, let us pray it together."

 

"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with Your Heart, being sacrificed at every instant on all the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father pleading for the coming of His Kingdom."

"Please receive this humble offering of myself. Use me as You will for the glory of the Father and the salvation of souls."

"Most holy Mother of God, never let me be separated from Your Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as Your Special Child. Amen."

 

When the prayer was finished, the Heavenly Voice said: "Pray very much for the Pope, Bishops, and Priests. Since your Baptism you have always prayed faithfully for them. Continue to pray very much...very much. Tell your superior all that passed today and obey him in everything that he will tell you. He has asked that you pray with fervor."

 

On the same day, 6^th July, the other sisters in the convent noticed what appeared to be drops of blood flowing from the right hand of the statue. This phenomenon of blood visibly flowing from the statue occurred on a further four occasions until 29^th September 1973 when the wound on the statue’s hand vanished. On 3^rd August Sr Agnes received the second message from Our Lady, in what appears to be a desperate eleventh-hour warning of a calamitous chastisement:

 

Message of 3^rd August, 1973

"My daughter, my novice, do you love the Lord? If you love the Lord, listen to what I have to say to you."

"It is very important...You will convey it to your superior."

"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."

"In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. With my Son I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him the sufferings of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father's anger. I desire this also from your community...that it love poverty, that it sanctify itself and pray in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages of so many men.

Recite the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist with awareness of its meaning; put it into practice; offer in reparation (whatever God may send) for sins. Let each one endeavor, according to capacity and position, to offer herself entirely to the Lord."

"Even in a secular institute prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to pray are on the way to being gathered together. Without attaching to much attention to the form, be faithful and fervent in prayer to console the Master."

After a silence:

"Is what you think in your heart true? Are you truly decided to become the rejected stone? My novice, you who wish to belong without reserve to the Lord, to become the spouse worthy of the Spouse, make your vows knowing that you must be fastened to the Cross with three nails. These three nails are poverty, chastity, and obedience. Of the three, obedience is the foundation. In total abandon, let yourself be led by your superior. He will know how to understand you and to direct you."

 

The Blessed Virgin would deliver a third and final message to Sr Agnes, and this would be accompanied by further miraculous signs, as a proof of their supernatural origin.

 

To be continued next week…