Basilica of the martyrs of Japón (Oura, Nagasaki)
The church of Oura, erected in 1864 by French missionaries Furet and Petitjean, is dedicated to the twenty-six martyrs crucified on Nishizaka hill of Nagasaki on 5 February 1597. It has been a minor basilica since 2016, the National Treasury of Japan and, since 2018, a World Heritage Site among the "hidden Christian sites of the Nagasaki region."
🌹 Wonders and anecdotes
- On March 17, 1865, a group of Urakami villagers approached Father Petitjean and a woman confessed to him: "We have the same feeling in our hearts as you. Where is the statue of the Virgin Mary?" They were descendants of the hidden Christians, who had kept faith underground for more than two centuries.
- Pius IX called that "discovery of Christians" before the image of the Virgin "the miracle of the East"; to commemorate it a statue of white marble of Mary was brought from France, to be venerated in the temple.
- It is dedicated to the 26 martyrs of 1597 - six European Franciscans, three Japanese Jesuits and seventeen laity, including children - canonized by Pius IX in 1862.
- It is the oldest preserved church in Japan: it was the first Western-style building declared National Treasury, and its current neo-Gothic structure dates back to 1879.
Basilica of the 26 Martyrs (Gura)
In Oura the memory of the martyrs and the tenderness of Mary are embraced: in his image the hidden Christians of Nagasaki came out of the shadow after 250 years of silence. The diocese celebrates Our Lady of the Discovery of Christians on March 17.
"St. Mary, Mother of Discovery, who you kept the faith of the Christians hidden, pray for us.
Is the advocation of the Virgin Mary of your people missing?
Si no encuentras la advocación mariana de tu ciudad o pueblo, cuéntanosla: la investigaremos para ubicarla y darla a conocer en este mapa del amor de la Madre por el mundo.
Propose an apvocation →