In 1969, Sister Agnes Sasagawa, then a postulant in the Order of the Handmaids of the Eucharist, received a message while she was praying the Rosary that had never before been seen or heard in Japan. An angelic being appeared to her and told her to pray at the end of each decade of the Rosary:
"O My Jesus, forgive us our sins; save us from the fire of hell; lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need."
This was one of the prayers given to the children of Fatima more than sixty years earlier. What was to happen several years later would further strengthen the link to the apparitions at Fatima. In July 1973, in the Japanese town of Akita, Sister Agnes Sasagawa was praying in her convent room. She was unwrapping the bandages which protected her hand which had mysteriously started to bleed. As she prayed, she suddenly heard a voice which said,
"Do not fear. Pray with fervor not only because of your sins, but in reparation for those of all men. The world today wounds the most Sacred Heart of Our Lord by its ingratitudes and injuries. The wounds of Mary are much deeper and more sorrowful than yours. Let us go pray together in the chapel."
Sister Agnes went to the chapel as directed by the angelic voice and experienced the first of a series of apparitions of the Blessed Virgin. The messages Mary gave her were requests for prayer, sacrifice and abandonment to God. In August, Mary was reported to have said, in part,
"Even in a secular institute, prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to pray are on the way to being gathered together. Without attaching too much attention to the form, be faithful and fervent in prayer to console the Master."
During this and subsequent apparitions, Mary's voice was perceived as coming from a wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin housed in the chapel. The statue seemed to be bathed in a brilliant light whenever an apparition occurred. Moreover, Sister Agnes was deaf at the time she heard Mary speak, making these apparitions even more remarkable.
In the last Marian apparition at Akita, the Virgin Mary said, in part,
"The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres. Churches and altars will be sacked. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord."
After this last appearance by Mary at Akita, the angel who had originally spoken to Sister Agnes continued to speak to her for the next nine years. After Mary's initial appearances, the wooden statue of the Blessed Virgin began to emit a clear fluid from the eyes that looked like tears. The statue reportedly "cried" one hundred and one different times, once before a Japanese TV crew who were reporting on the events occurring at Akita. A few of the tears that fell from the statue were sent to a local laboratory by one of the parish priests. He did not identify the source of the fluid but simply requested a chemical analysis. The laboratory found that the fluid that they examined was identical in composition to human tears. The photo that follows pictures the tears of Akita.
In Akita, Mary reminded all through her tears that she was the Lady of Sorrows, suffering throughout her life at the rejection of her Son by those He loved so much. She suffered greviously as her Son was brutally murdered by a crucifixion she was there to witness. In one of her apparitions, she said that her tears are shed today, "Because so many souls are lost!"
In addition to tears from her statue, her right hand oozed a reddish-brown fluid on a number of occasions. Once again, when this fluid was tested, it was determined to be of human origin - blood type AB. Obviously, receiving human blood from a wooden statue is extraordinary - a miracle - direct evidence of supernatural intervention in the physical world. Miracles are signs sent by Heaven to reinforce faith. Perhaps this blood was sent to remind us that we are all called to suffer with Jesus just as Mary suffered throughout her life. Together, our suffering and her suffering are necessary to assist in the remission of sins for the salvation of souls.
The apparitions at Akita and the messages they contained appeared to disclose the third Secret of Fatima. To further emphasize the reality of her appearances and the urgency of her plea for the conversion of all humanity, Mary was making herself known to a much wider audience - on television.
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Try this Web site for additional information about Akita.Last updated 5/20/96