In 2023 in Japan, every educated Japanese knows of the existence of Our Lady of Akita, which was reported in the media at the time.

But what is it all about? We'll try to give some background on the events themselves, the clues to support their authenticity, the content of the messages, and the general significance of these apparitions in the Church in crisis.

Sister Agnès Sasagawa received three messages between July 6, 1973 and October 10, 1973, while praying before the famous statue, which was bathed in light and from which a voice spoke to her - even though she was deaf... The statue went on to weep 101 times until 1981 (the last time falling on the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary), before more than 500 witnesses, both Catholic and pagan. The statue also exhaled good smells on several occasions.

Like all apparitions and private revelations, they remain in the realm of opinion and are never of the Faith; we must be cautious, especially in examining their provenance - not every spirit is of God - and in their interpretation. Nevertheless, it would be a pity not to give serious consideration to apparitions that give every assurance of veracity, with the approval of the Church. Especially as these apparitions are truly miraculous in the post-Vatican II context: Our Lady appeared in extremis, having herself officially recognized as such by the Church; the apparitions would have taken place a little earlier, that the message would have made no sense, and a little later, that the apparitions would simply have been ignored and swept under the carpet: the "timing" is ideal.

Sister Agnès Sasagawa, Japanese, born in 1931, was for many years a catechist in a church in Kyushu, before suffering incurable deafness in 1973, which led her to this monastery in Akita, of the Congregation of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. She was the recipient of the messages, still alive today, in a nursing home far from the convent - the Japanese conciliar church having taken advantage of COVID and the pilgrimage's closure for three years, as well as her old age, to remove her from the place.

Sister Agnès Sasagawa

The convent's chaplain during the events was Father Thomas Yasuda (S.V.D), born in 1916 and ordained in 1948, a theologian who was Sister Sasagawa's spiritual director.

The local bishop, Jean Ito, was consecrated bishop of Niigata in 1962, and a year before his "retirement", in 1984, he published his apostolic letter on the apparitions, indicating that he was thus fulfilling his duty as a bishop in relation to these apparitions, after multiple canonical investigations, gathering of evidences, medical analyses.

What happened?

Our Lady tells her that too many men afflict the Lord, and that She wishes to console Him, that souls must repair and console, to calm the anger of the heavenly Father. She warns that the Father is preparing a terrible chastisement for all mankind, so that His Wrath may be published to everyone.

Sister Agnès Akita, after seeing streaks of light coming out of the Blessed Eucharist while praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament in June, which frightened her, received a scarification on her left hand on June 28, 1973, in the shape of a cross, which made her suffer terribly for three days, then began to bleed on July 5. She then received three messages between July 6, 1973 and October 10, 1973, while praying before the famous statue, which was bathed in light and from which a voice spoke to her - even though she was deaf.

On June 28, the local bishop ordered her to keep a diary, which was on site at the time, and authorized her to take her vows in August.

The first message asked her if she was suffering from her deafness, and promised her recovery, but that she needed to be patient. She asked her to pray and offer her suffering for the reparation of the sins of the world, and to pray even more for the Pope, bishops and priests.

The second message asks her to relay its contents to the superior, stressing its importance. Our Lady tells her that too many men afflict the Lord, and that She wishes to console Him, that souls must repair and console, to calm the anger of the heavenly Father. She warns that the Father is preparing a terrible chastisement for all mankind, so that His Wrath may be published to everyone. Our Lady makes it clear that she has so far appeased Him, and delayed the chastisement, by offering the precious blood of her Son and his sufferings on the Cross; that it is possible for courageous acts of sacrifice by generous souls to appease Him, that everyone, both religious and members of secular institutes, must pray, live in great poverty, in deep repentance, for reparation for man's ingratitude and affronts against God; this may console the Master.

Our Lady also predicted that Satan will infiltrate the Church, and that bishops will oppose other bishops, cardinals will rise up against other cardinals, priests who venerate Mary will be persecuted by their confreres, altars and churches will be ransacked, and churches will be filled with worldly compromises. Many priests will abandon their priesthood at Satan's temptation.

The third message, which must have particularly displeased the post-conciliar hierarchy - and which explains the numerous persecutions both from the Vatican and the Japanese Bishops' Conference - reiterates the injunctions of the second message, while making them more precise. If men do not repent and convert, the heavenly Father will inflict a punishment worse than the Flood. Fire will fall from heaven and a large part of Humanity will die, and the survivors will suffer so much they'd rather prefer to die than go on living. The only weapon against this punishment is the Rosary and the Sign left by her Son (the Blessed Sacrament); we must pray the Rosary every day, and pray for bishops and priests. Our Lady also predicted that Satan will infiltrate the Church, and that bishops will oppose other bishops, cardinals will rise up against other cardinals, priests who venerate Mary will be persecuted by their confreres, altars and churches will be ransacked, and churches will be filled with worldly compromises. Many priests will abandon their priesthood at Satan's temptation. Satan today especially attacks souls consecrated to God. The perdition of so many souls makes our Lady sad, and that if so many sins continue to be committed, there will be no forgiveness for them.

The statue went on to weep 101 times until 1981 (the last time falling on the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary), before more than 500 witnesses, both Catholic and pagan. The statue also exhaled good smells on several occasions.

Miraculous cures have been attested: that of Sister Agnès herself in 1982, but also a Korean woman who, through the intercession of Our Lady of Akita, was cured of a terminal brain tumor in 1981.

Other messages were given to Sister Agnès by her guardian angel in 1981 and 1982: some announcing her healing, but above all the meaning of the 101 tears, in connection with the proto-gospel (Genesis, 3, 15). The '0' stands for eternal God, and the two 1's for Eve and the new Eve, Mary.

According to Father Yasuda, and other theologians, the Akita apparitions, beyond the prophecies that always interest the general public, are first and foremost a counterpart to the apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes, in that Our Lady herself supports a dogma that has yet to be defined as such: Our Lady's role as Co-Redemptrix. 

It's also a message especially for clerics and religious.

Our Lady weeps before the Blessed Sacrament, reminding us that she wept at the foot of the Cross, and that Jesus' salvation passes through her, as co-redemptrix; a dogma that becomes all the more important as times become "apocalyptic": the closer the end of the world draws near, the more important Mary's role becomes, as she goes to her Son.

In any case, the message is clear: pray, repent, convert and make sacrifices!

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