A Light from the Tabernacle: Akita Fifty Years Later

On a hill just outside the peaceful city of Akita in Northern Japan, there is a beautiful chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Akita and inside the chapel can be found, a wooden statue of Our Lady of All Nations, carved of a solid piece of wood by a Buddhist, sculptor.  The website of the Handmaids of the Eucharist Convent in Akita invites pilgrims to come to this miraculous place of prayer. It documents that the statue began weeping on January 4, 1975, and wept 101 times over a period of six years, ceasing on the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, Sept. 15, 1981.  The tears were tested and found to be of human origin. There is no mention of the events prior to this phenomenon. And no mention of Sister Agnes Sasagawa, the messages of Our Lady to her in 1973, which she perceived as a voice from this statue, or of other phenomena that occurred at that time.

Fifty years ago, on June 12, 1973, these events were ushered in when a brilliant mysterious Light suddenly emanated from the Tabernacle when Sister Agnes Sasagawa entered the chapel.  Sister Agnes, who is now 92 years old and in a nursing facility, was a convert from Buddhism and a novice in this convent. She was also deaf. Initially frightened, she left the chapel. The next morning the same brilliant Light greeted Sister as she came to pray. informing the chaplain, he told her to trust what is happening as coming from God. The next day, on June 14 while at prayer with other Sisters the Light shone again. It was like an announcement from the Lord of His Mother’s visitation to this convent and to the world, bearing important messages for the salvation of souls. A series of unusual events would follow.

On June 28, 1973, the wooden statue known now as Our Lady of Akita, began bleeding from a red cross that appeared on its right hand while simultaneously a small red cross, painful and bleeding at times, appeared on Sister Agnes’ left palm. These phenomena lasted until September 29, 1973, Feast of St. Michael, and on the day it ended the Sisters noticed the statue would occasionally “sweat” on the neck and forehead.

Sister would receive a series of three messages from a voice coming from the wooden statue which she “heard”, although she was deaf. The first message came on July 6, 1973. This message focused on the Eucharist, on prayer and the offering of suffering in reparation. Our Lady recited with Sister Agnes the Daily Prayer of their community to which, Our Lady asked, that the word “truly” be added to emphasize the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. She told them to pray it well, offering themselves with Jesus, praying especially for the Pope, Bishops and Priests.

“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.

On August 3, 1973, she received the second message. Like The message of Fatima it warns that prayers and penances of reparation are needed for the sins of the world which increasingly call down the chastisements of God. Mary warned that she has prevented many of these by offering Her Son and His Precious Blood and the sufferings of victim souls. She called that community to pray well, their offering of themselves to God. Again, Our Lady called for prayer for the Pope, the Bishops and priests.

                On the anniversary of the Miracle at Fatima, October 13, 1973, the third and most ominous message was given. Mary warns us that if we do not repent and make reparation a horrible chastisement, “fire from the sky,”[1] will come upon the world and the rosary will be our only recourse. She prophetically warns that the devil will infiltrate the church with “cardinals opposing cardinals” and “bishops opposing bishops.”  Many people in the church will accept compromises and many priests and religious will abandon their vocations. "The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God.”  She continues to encourage the Sisters, and all of us to be faithful in making reparation, offer ourselves with Jesus in the Eucharist and pray the rosary for the salvation of our own soul and that of others. It was one statement she made on that day that led to the nest phenomena.  Mary said the loss of so many souls is what causes her great sadness.

                 Two years later, the Statue of Our Lady began to weep. Over the next six years and eight months, the statue would weep 101 times. It would be the Guardian Angel who appeared to her during these events to support her, that we learn the significance of 101. The first 1 stands for Eve, the 0 for the Eternal God and the second 1 stands for Mary who as Co-Redemptrix, is the New Eve with the New Adam, Her Son.

                The events and the messages were investigated for eight years and approved by Rev. John Shojiro Ito, Bishop of Nigata, Japan, and deemed supernatural in origin and worthy of belief. He himself presented his findings to then Cardinal Ratzinger of the CDF, who said no further investigation was needed and concurred with the Bishop.[2]

                There were further developments. On October 6, 2019, at 3:30 AM, the Guardian Angel woke sister with the message: “Cover in ashes and please pray the Penitential Rosary every day. You (Sister Sasagawa) become like a child and every day please give sacrifice.”[3] A reminder from heaven. Sister was asked at that time about the warning of fire from heaven.  She said that we should not focus on that but on the Eucharist and prayer, as our Lady directed.

                Each of us need to ask ourself, “Fifty years after Akita and 100+years after Fatima, how have I responded to these appeals of Our Lady?” The situations in the world and in the church are more alarming. Mary is weeping for us. Dire warnings have come from apparitions of Our Lady, from Saints and Mystics of the past and of the present. These are given by a loving God who wants His children to repent and prepare for His coming. Not for the end of the world but for the end of this age which will usher in the Kingdom of His Divine Will. We have been praying in the Our Father for two thousand years, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” God wants to bring that about soon. So, what should we do? We should not fear! We have Jesus’ True Presence in the Eucharist, and we have our Mother Mary. We can respond by going to Mass faithfully, even daily, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, daily rosary, repentance in confession, at least monthly, and offering ourselves with Christ to the Father through penance for the world. Serious praying for serious times. We are not children. Father Jim Blount SOLT, likes to say for these times, every woman Joan of Arc and every man John the Baptist. Learn by heart the prayer Our Lady recommended and let us all respond to that Light from the Tabernacle

[1] Our Lafy of Akita, John Ata, EWTN website that has the text of the messages.
[2] Ibid.
[3]  A New Message from Sister Agnes of Our Lady of Akita. WQPH Radio website.