Blessed Adam Arakawa

Blessed Adam Arakawa

Sainthood is a pursuit that normally seems impossible, but as the Saints show, it can be done.

How?

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthen me." Philippians 4:13

Sainthood can only be achieved through and with Christ.



I try and pursue Holiness, though my actions often show otherwise. I desire Sainthood, and because of that, I love reading about the Holy men and women of our church History, with either the Blessed or Saint in front of their name.

I don't know how many Saint Profiles I'll be doing, or Saint discussions, but we'll see where it goes. I know you will all like reading about this guy. I read about Blessed Adam Arakawa in this Month's Magnificat and now I will tell you about him.

Blessed Adam Arakawa - Martyr 1554-1614 -

Blessed Adam Arakawa, a Catholic villager on the Japanese island of Chichi (Bonin Islands), was entrusted by missionary priests with the duties of baptising infants, visiting the sick, and burying the dead.
In 1614 Japan’s pagan regime, intent upon persecuting Catholics, arrested Blessed Adam.
On the Friday before Palm Sunday, the pagans stripped him, paraded him through the streets, and bound him between two columns. He was left thus for eight days, spending Holy Week bound in this manner until Holy Saturday. He was then put under house arrest. Blessed Adam’s Chinese Catholic wife Mary apostatised after being threatened by the pagans, but Blessed Adam persuaded her to return to the faith.
During Blessed Adam’s imprisonment, the pagans amputated his fingers and toes one by one. He declared himself willing to suffer everything for the love of God and in expiation of his sins. Shortly afterwards, he experienced a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary holding a cross between her hands. Adam saw this vision as foreshadowing his own martyrdom. On 5th June 1614, he was beheaded. Pagan witnesses testified that when Blessed Adam’s head fell from his body it was heard to pronounce the name of Jesus twice.

What a boss.