Tag: Japan

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Feast of the Seven Joys of Our Lady – 27 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

The Seven Joys of Our Lady – 27 August

St Joseph Calasanz Sch.P. (1557-1648) Spanish Confessor, Priest, Teacher, Lawyer, Founder of the Pious Schools. Patron of all Schools, Colleges, all study institutions and of all students.

St Caesarius of Arles (470-543) Archbishop and Church Father, Theologian, Preacher, Apostle of charity, Legislator, Administrator, Writer, Reformer.

St Carpophorus
St David Lewis
St Decuman
St Ebbo of Sens
St Etherius of Lyons
St Euthalia of Leontini
St Fortunatus of Potenza
Bl Gabriel Mary
St Gebhard of Constance
St Giovanni of Pavia
St Honoratus of Potenza
St John of Pavia
St Licerius of Couserans
St Malrubius of Merns
St Narnus of Bergamo
St Phanurius
St Poemen
Bl Roger Cadwallador
St Rufus of Capua
St Sabinian of Potenza
St Syagrius of Autun

Martyrs of Tomi – 5 Saints: A group of 17 Christians imprisoned and executed for their faith during the persecutions of Diocletian. They miraculously were unburned by fire and untouched by wild animals. We know the names and a few details on five of them – John, Mannea, Marcellinus, Peter and Serapion. They were tied to stakes and burned alive; they emerged unharmed – thrown to wild animals in the amphitheatre; the animals ignored them; they were beheaded in 304 in Tomi, Mesia (modern Costanza, Romania).

Martyrs of Nagasaki – 14 Beati: A group of fourteen missionaries and Japanese native Christians, who were Martyred together for their faith. They died on 16 August 1627 in Nagasaki, Japan and were Beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.
• Blessed Antonius of Saint Francis
• Blessed Bartolomé Díaz Laurel
• Blessed Caius Akashi Jiemon
• Blessed Francisca Pinzokere
• Blessed Francisco of Saint Mary
• Blessed Franciscus Kuhyoe
• Blessed Leo Kurobyoe Nakamura
• Blessed Lucas Tsuji Kyuemon
• Blessed Ludovicus Matsuo Soyemon
• Blessed Magdalena Kiyota
• Blessed Maria Shobyoe
• Blessed Michaël Koga Kizayemon
• Blessed Thomas Sato Shin’emon
• Blessed Tsuji Shobyoe

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 25 August – Blessed Miguel de Carvalho SJ

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Miguel de Carvalho SJ, also known as Michael Carvalho, was born in Braga, in 1579, to a noble and wealthy family. In 1597, he joined the Society of Jess in. In 1602, he studied in Portuguese India. After completing his studies of philosophy and theology at St. Paul’s College in Goa, he was ordained to the priesthood. For several years, he was a professor of theology at the Academy. On 21 August 1621, he arrived in Japan where there was an increasing persecution of Catholics in social life. Hidetada Tokugawa, the second shōgun of the Tokugawa dynasty, issued a decree which banned the practice and teaching of the Christian faith, and under the threat of loss of life, all missionaries had to leave Japan. This decree started the bloody persecution of Christians, which lasted several decades.

Carvalho hid in plain view, disguised as a soldier for two years. When the local governor openly confessed that Carvalho was a missionary, and the actual purpose of his stay was to preach and convert the locals to Christianity, he was expelled from the island. With the help of fellow believers, he went to Nagasaki, where the Jesuit Provincial, Francisco Pacheco advised him to remain prudent in the implementation of the apostolate and directed him to care for a small group living in a suburban area. On 22 July 1623, as he returned from the pastoral ministry in Ōmura, Carvalho was arrested thanks to an accusation from an informant.

In the local prison, he joined Franciscan Luis Sotelo, Dominican Pedro Vásquez, and two Japanese Franciscans, Ludovicus Sasada and tertiary Ludovicus Baba. Miguel spent his time in captivity with the celebration of daily Mass and prayer. On 24 August, a death sentence was ordered, which was performed the next day in Ōmura. On 25 August 1624, Carvalho and his companions were burned at the stake.

The steadfastness and joy that he showed convicts in the face of martyrdom for the faith, aroused the admiration of his contemporaries. Carvalho was beatified by Pope Pius IX on 7 July 1867. The death of the martyrs is commemorated by an obelisk in Ōmura.

‘Thanks be to God, that joyous as I was in the flesh, I am now more joyous here.’

Saint Perpetua

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Memorials of the Saints – 19 August

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Within the Octave of the Assumption

St John Eudes (1601-1680) Confessor, Priest, Missionary, Founder, Preacher, Writer, Mystic, he founded the Congregation of Jesus (The Eudists) and Mary and the Order of Our Lady of Charity and was the Author of the propers for the Mass and Divine Office of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Known as “The Apostle of Two Hearts.” Beatified on 25 April 1909 by Pope Pius X and Canonised on 31 May 1925 by Pope Pius XI. 

St Andrew the Tribune
St Badulf of Ainay
St Bertulf of Luxeuil
St Calminius
St Credan of Evesham
St Donatus of Mount Jura
St Elaphius of Châlons
St Guenninus
Bl Guerricus
Bl Hugh Green

Blessed Jordan of Pisa OP (c 1255–1311) Dominican Friar, Theologian, Professor, renowned Preacher, Founder of the Confraternity of the Holy Redeemer at Pisa, Visionary, Marian devotee, promoter and daring innovator of the vernacular Italian language as a ‘church’ language and a tool for evangelisation. On 23 August 1833, Blessed Jordan’s cultus was confirmed by Pope Gregory XVI and in 1838 he was Beatified by Pope Gregory XVI.

St Julius of Rome

St Louis of Toulouse OFM (1274-1297) Prince and Bishop, Neapolitan Prince of the Capetian House of Anjou, Franciscan Friar and Priest, Apostle of Prayer, of Penance and of the poor and the sick. He had received the last sacraments on the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady and on the 19th of August, 1297, while pronouncing the holy name of Mary, he yielded his soul to God. Because of the many miracles that were wrought at his tomb, he was Canonised as early as 1317, during the lifetime of his mother.

St Magnus of Anagni
St Magnus of Avignon
St Magnus of Cuneo
St Marianus of Entreaigues
St Marinus of Besalu
St Magino of Tarragona
St Mochta
St Namadia of Marsat
St Rufinus of Mantua
St Sarah the Matriarch
St Sebaldus
St Thecla of Caesarea
St Timothy of Gaza

Martyrs of Nagasaki – 15 Beati: A group of missionaries and their laymen supporters who were executed for spreading Christianity in Japan.
• Antonius Yamada
• Bartholomaeus Mohyoe
• Iacobus Matsuo Denji
• Ioachim Díaz Hirayama
• Ioannes Miyazaki Soemon
• Ioannes Nagata Matashichi
• Ioannes Yago
• Laurentius Ikegami Rokusuke
• Leo Sukeemon
• Ludovic Frarijn
• Marcus Takenoshita Shin’emon
• Michaël Díaz Hori
• Paulus Sankichi
• Pedro de Zúñiga
• Thomas Koyanagi
They were beheaded on 19 August 1622 at Nagasaki, Japan and Beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX.

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 16 August – Bl. Simon Kiyota Bokusai and Companions

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Bl. Simon Kiyota Bokusai and Companions were Japanese converts to the Faith, and martyrs. After having served in the military, the nobleman Simon Kiyota Bokusai (born 1559 in Kiyota) became a catechist, founding a school for this purpose. After learning of the catechetical school, the pagan Japanese emperor ordered him to close it. When in turn he refused to comply with this unjust order, the emperor condemned Simon and his wife Magdalena to be put to death by crucifixion together with another Catholic family living under their roof. The latter family consisted of Thomas Gengoro, his wife Mary, and their young son, James Bunzo.

Shortly before his execution, Simon confided to a religious in a letter, “I hope that, if my sins offer no obstacle, I may go in a few hours to enjoy eternal happiness. I entreat you to obtain for me perseverance.” The next day, before setting out for the place of their crucifixion in Kokura, Simon, Magdalena, Thomas, Mary, and James all knelt down before a crucifix to prepare themselves. When later the five reached the execution site, they individually prostrated themselves before the respective crosses on which they were to die. Simon and the rest were then crucified upside down soon after sunrise on 16 August, their bodies burned and their ashes scattered.

Nagasaki Martyrs

They were beatified on 7 May 1867 by Pope Pius IX. There is an additional memorial for Blessed Simon Kiyota Bokusai on 10 September as one of the 205 Martyrs of Japan.

O most brave and blessed martyrs! O truly called and chosen unto the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ! Whom whoever magnifies, and honours, and adores, assuredly ought to read these examples for the edification of the Church, not less than the ancient ones, so that new virtues also may testify that one and the same Holy Spirit is always operating even until now, and God the Father Omnipotent, and His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, whose is the glory and infinite power for ever and ever. Amen.

Tertullian

Posted in SAINT of the DAY

Saint of the Day – 10 August – Blessed Augustine Ota

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Blessed Augustine Ota, a martyr of Japan and a native Japanese. He was born in 1572 in Ojika, Goto-retto, Nagasaki, and grew up Buddhist. Jesuits converted and baptised him in 1585. After his wife died, he devoted all his time to spreading Christianity and evangelising his countrymen. Because of his knowledge of Buddhism, he was especially valuable to the Jesuit missionaries.

The mass killing at Nagasaki in 1622

Despite the persecution Christians were facing, Augustine joined Father Camillus Costanzo and served as his catechist on visits to the islands of the western shore of Japan and to some of the mainland. They were betrayed by a Japanese man who feigned interest in hearing Father Costanzo. After finding out the secret whereabouts of the priest, the man passed the information to the police who tracked him and Augustine down on the island of Uku and arrested them.

Knowing he would be executed, Augustine wrote to the Jesuit provincial in Japan, requesting for admission into the Society. An affirmative answer arrived, and Father Costanzo accepted Augustine as a novice. The day before his death Augustine pronounced the three vows. He was beheaded on August 10, 1622 and his body thrown into the sea.

The Church venerated him on February 26, 1866, through a decree of martyrdom issued by Pope Pius IX. The Pope then beatified him on May 7, 1867.

When they came within sight of Hilarianus, by gesture and nod, they began to say to Hilarianus, You judge us, say they, but God will judge you. At this the people, exasperated, demanded that they should be tormented with scourges as they passed along the rank of the venatores. And they indeed rejoiced that they should have incurred any one of their Lord’s passions.

Tertullian (The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity)