Our Lady of Akita: The Apparitions of Mary in Japan

The Apparitions of Akita

The apparitions of Akita took place between 1973 and 1979 in Japan, to Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa. Bishop John Shojiro Ito approved them as supernatural in 1984, and Cardinal Ratzinger, future Pope Benedict XVI, confirmed their authenticity in 1988. The three messages, conveyed through a wooden statue that shed tears scientifically verified, contain warnings that theologians have compared to those of Fatima.

Historical Context: Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa and the Apparitions (1973-1979)

The Virgin Mary appeared to former catechist Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa on the morning of June 15, 1973, a Friday of the Heart of Jesus. Sasagawa, who had lost her hearing in one ear and was forced to leave her parish work in Myookoogawa, Japan, retired early and entered the convent of the Servants of the Most Holy Sacrament of Akita. One night, while praying, she witnessed the statue of the Mother of God mysteriously light up and animate itself.Sasagawa immediately made the Sign of the Cross, and at that moment, she heard a voice in the air.

First Message (June 6, 1973): Personal Conversion, Penance, and Reparation

*”My daughter, my novice, you have shown me great faith. Your sick ear is a painful trial for you, but it will be healed. Be patient. Offer yourself as a sacrifice and atone for the sins of the world. You are indispensable to me. Fulfill your vows among the servants of the Most Holy Sacrament, pray for the Pope, the Bishops, and the Fathers.”*

Second Message (August 3, 1973): Prayer, Suffering, and Mary’s Mediating Role

… (rest of the text continues as provided)*«My Daughter, my novice! You love the Lord and have sacrificed yourself for Him. But if you truly love Me, then hear what I say: there are so many who offend the Lord, that I ask for people to console the Heavenly Father to lessen His anger. Dedicate yourself to expiatory practices towards these ungrateful people. Accept suffering and poverty as expiation for the souls of sinners. This is also what My Son desires. It is important to expiate with Him for this reason. I must inform you that God’s wrath against the world is now kindled, and a punishment is being prepared for humanity. Together with My Son, I am seeking to mitigate the anger of the Heavenly Father, and for this reason, I have appeared several times in the world. Living souls must become expiatory souls to manifest the painful passion of My Son on the Cross and His holy blood, and thus console the Father. That is why I am coming to you. Offer yourselves truly for the sinners. Each one with her own strength, in her place, even if you are sisters of a secular institute, your prayer is very important. Remember that if you pray fervently, many souls will gather around you. Do not let yourselves be led astray by exteriority. Dedicate yourselves with devotion to this great task and concern yourselves with the serious and correct action of consoling the Lord. That is why pray! »!

On October 13th, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared in the significant event of Fátima. Once again, Sister Inés, as she was called in the convent, in prayer before the statue, heard the voice of Mary tell her.*

Third Message: Future Punishments, the Relationship with Fátima, and the Conversion of the Church

“Beloved daughter, listen attentively to what I tell you and afterwards communicate it to your superior: as I had already told you, the Heavenly Father will bring about a punishment if humanity does not convert. A punishment far more severe than the universal flood, a punishment never seen before. About this, there should be no doubt. Fire will fall from heaven and many men will die, also priests and devoties. The sufferings for those who remain alive will be so great that they will envy those who are dead. The only means of defense will be to recite the Holy Rosary and make the sign of the Cross. Pray for the bishops and for the good priests. Above all, for peace and harmony to reign among them. For as long as men of the Church, cardinals, bishops, and priests are at war with each other within the Body of Christ, the demon will have a strong negative influence on the internal development of the Church. Even the priests who have always glorified me will turn away from this devotion and dishonor the altar and the Church. Compromises will lead to reconciliation, but afterwards, many priests and clerics will lose their vocation precisely within these compromises. The demon will turn especially against those who are persistent in their devotion to the Heavenly Father. My suffering is great when I think of the many souls that will be lost. There will be no changes, no more possibility of remission of sins.”—Between January 4, 1975, and September 12, 1981, Sister Inés witnessed a total of 101 supernatural phenomena of lacrimation, including blood, from the statue of Our Lady. She also served as an ambassador for three messages from the miraculous image. Over 500 people were witnesses to this mystical episode, including, on four occasions, the local bishop, Shojiro Ito of Niigata. He tasted the tears and noted their salty flavor. He ordered the lacrimal liquid and blood droplets analyzed at the Akita Medical Faculty and declared their human nature. The blood had a pleasant odor.—Ecclesiastical Approval: Bishop Ito (1984) and Cardinal Ratzinger’s Confirmation (1988)Initially, despite the results, the bishop did not sign an official decree recognizing the apparitions. Only in 1984 did he send a letter to the faithful of his diocese and provide a favorable testimony about the supernatural character of these events. He was fully convinced of the authenticity of the phenomena when Sister Inés called him and conversed with him. In reality, she had been cured of her ear during prayer and could hear everything. On March 25 and May 1, 1982, an Angel had announced to her that her hearing would return to normal.Here are the bishop’s words:…”Now, the time has come for me to fulfill my duty as Bishop of the diocese of Niigata, I take responsibility to establish the following:1. The manifestations regarding the statue of the Mother of God in Akita have shown all the signs, through repeated mystical appearances, of having an authentic supernatural character. Nothing can demonstrate that these had a natural origin contrary to Christian virtues or in contrast with Christian faith.2. Pending the final decision of the Holy See, permission is granted to the faithful to venerate the Mother of God in Akita in the diocese of Niigata as a miraculous statue.”The bleeding of the image of Our Lady of Akita was recognized on April 22, 1984, not without difficulty, thanks to the perseverance and spiritual conviction of the Bishop.He traveled to Rome twice, where reluctance prevailed, and finally obtained authorization from Cardinal Ratzinger to proclaim the authenticity of the fact before resigning due to reaching the retirement age limit. In April 1984, he concluded: “These facts established after eleven years of study are indisputable […] Therefore, I authorize the veneration of Our Lady of Akita.” The formula he had admitted in Rome was not entirely consistent with what he believed. In June 1988, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger declared these events credible for the faithful.The apparitions of Our Lady of Akita and her message of conversion and penance fit into the tradition of Marian revelations studied in the light of Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptoris Mater, which presents Mary as mother and guide of humanity towards Christ.Deepen your studies: Explore Mariology, Marian Theology, Marian Apparitions, and a Postgraduate Program in Mariology.”