Akita, Japan

In the past 30 years, reports of statues of the Madonna shedding tears of blood have been on the increase. They have come from many countries around the world -- including Japan. On April 22, 1984, following lengthly investigations, the tears of the wooden statue of Our Lady of Akita were declared authentic by the local bishop, Bishop Ito. Cardinal Ratzinger has also made favorable statements concerning Akita.       It was in the convent of the Servants of the Holy Eucharist that Sister Agnes Sasagawa experienced what has come to be seen by many, even in Rome, as an extraordinary series of visits from the Virgin Mary. On June 28, 1973, the eve of the Feast of the Holy Cross, a painful wound in the form of a cross formed on the palm of her left hand. This wound kept on renewing itself for the weeks to come. Sister Agnes informed Bishop Ito of this. He was visiting the convent and witnessed this event. He asked her to record these events.       A week later Sister Agnes' guardian angel appeared to her and led her to the chapel where the statue of the Blessed Virgin spoke to her "Don't be afraid.. You will be healed. Be patient. This is your last trial..Pray alone for all people. All my daughters here are very precious to me". Sister Agnes had gone deaf the year before. She was healed of this deafness the following year.       A week later, on the 6th of July, a wound similar to that of Sister Agnes formed in the right hand of the statue, and blood began to trickle from it. Three weeks later, on the 26th of July, blood streamed from the statue's eyes. Sister Agnes' pain became almost unbearable.       On the 3rd of August Sister Agnes received a second message from the Virgin Mary, "Many men in the 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 ungrateful ones."

"In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. With my son, I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering the sufferings of the Son on the Cross. His Precious Blood, and beloved souls who console Him forming a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance, and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father's anger...Let each one endeavor, according to capacity to offer oneself entirely to the Lord."

On the 13th of October, the anniversary of the final apparition at Fatima, the final message was given to Sister Agnes. "As I told you , if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible chastisement 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 the priests.       The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate Me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres... churches and altars 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. The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will no longer be pardon for them...