By Father Rich Tomkosky
Our Lady appeared to Sister Agnes Sasagawa, part of the religious community, the Eucharistic Handmaids of the Sacred Heart, in 1973 in the snowy mountain city of Akita in northern Japan. Sister Agnes was 42 years old when this occurred, and she is still living at the age of 92 in seclusion in Japan. She was a convert from Buddhism and was half deaf at the time.
Sister Agnes first encountered the Heavenly realm at a time of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. A very bright light engulfed her when the Tabernacle was opened. She was so overwhelmed, she prostrated herself on the floor of the chapel. This continued over the course of three days leading up to the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.
She asked the other Sisters if they saw the luminous light from the Tabernacle and they said, “No.” Sister Agnes also saw angels worship the Holy Eucharist in a circle around the Altar. Sister Agnes reported the experience to Bishop Ito, the local Bishop, who was visiting the sisters at that time. He advised her to keep the experience quiet and see what happens next.
Our Lady then appeared three specific times in 1973 to Sister Agnes on July 6, August 3, and October 13. I will briefly touch upon them, but to read more in detail check out: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/library/message-from-our-lady–akita-japan-5167.
On July 6, Our Lady told Sister Agnes that her deafness was an opportunity to offer reparation for all the sins of the world; she was completely healed of her deafness in 1982 by God. Our Lady then prayed with Sister Agnes the beautiful prayer Bishop Ito had written that the sisters prayed in thanksgiving for the Eucharist every day. The prayer was the following:
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.
An important note: Our Lady asked Sister Agnes to add the word TRULY to the prayer going forward. She also told Sister Agnes to pray very much for the Pope, bishops, and priests.
On August 3, Our Lady appeared again and told Sister Agnes, “Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console Him to soften the anger of the Heavenly Father. I wish, with my Son, for souls who will repair by their suffering and their poverty, for the sinners and ingrates.”
And after speaking about a great chastisement that is coming from the Heavenly Father to purify the world of sin, if people don’t repent, Our Lady said, “Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father’s anger. I desire this also from your community…that it love poverty, that it sanctify itself and pray in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages of so many men. Recite the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist with awareness of its meaning; put it into practice; offer in reparation (whatever God may send) for sins. Let each one endeavor, according to capacity and position, to offer herself entirely to the Lord.”
And finally, on October 13, the 55th anniversary of the miracle of the Sun at Fatima, Our Lady told Sister Agnes the following: “As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one has never seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by My Son. Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and priests. Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary. I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.”
Along with the messages there were miraculous occurrences at Akita including the unique wooden statue of our Lady of the Nations, carved from a Japanese Katsura tree by a famous Buddhist sculptor from the area, bleeding from a hand on four occasions, as well as tears coming out of her eyes on 101 occasions over six-and-a-half years, and both the blood and tears were scientifically examined and were determined to be human tears and blood. Mary said she was bleeding and weeping because of the many sins of men. Akita is a very important message to heed from our dear spiritual mother in Heaven, Mary. God bless you.
Father Rich Tomkosky is the Pastor of Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish in Bedford and the Pastor of Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Beans Cove.
