Blessed Michael Nakashima
Blessed Michael Nakashima (born about 1583 AD in Japan; died December 25, 1628 AD near Unzen, Japan) was a Japanese Catholic layman and Jesuit associate, a catechist who was put to death during the persecution of Christians in Japan. He is venerated as a Blessed and martyr of the Church. His feast day is December 25.
Faithful in aiding the hidden missionaries, Michael Nakashima was seized and subjected to the cruel torture of the boiling sulfur springs of Unzen, dying rather than deny his faith. He was beatified in 1867.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Michael Nakashima
| Blessed Michael Nakashima | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | December 25 |
| Profession | Catechist; Jesuit associate; martyr |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; associated with the Society of Jesus |
| Patronage | Honored among the Martyrs of Japan |
| Attributes | Palm of martyrdom |
| Birthplace | Japan |
| Death Place | Unzen, Japan |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; died from the torture of the hot sulfur springs of Unzen |
| Primary Shrine | Nagasaki, Japan |
Biography
Michael Nakashima was born about 1583 in Japan, of a Christian family, at a time when the faith had spread widely through the missionary labors of the Jesuits and others. As an adult he devoted himself to the service of the Church, becoming a catechist and an associate of the Society of Jesus, and he took part in aiding and sheltering the priests who continued their ministry in secret after Christianity was outlawed.
When the persecution intensified, those who assisted the missionaries were hunted down along with the priests. Michael Nakashima was arrested and taken to Unzen, a place of volcanic hot springs used by the persecutors as an instrument of torture: victims were repeatedly scalded with the boiling sulfurous waters in an effort to make them apostatize. He endured this torment with constancy, refusing to renounce his faith, and died of his sufferings on December 25, 1628.
Michael Nakashima was beatified on July 7, 1867, by Pope Pius IX, among a large company of the Martyrs of Japan. His feast is kept on December 25.
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Feast day
December 25
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