Saint James Kisai
Saint James Kisai (born c. 1533 AD in Kochi Prefecture, Japan; died February 5, 1597 AD in Nagasaki, Japan) was a Japanese Jesuit lay brother who was one of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan — crucified at Nagasaki on February 5, 1597, the first major martyrdom in the history of Japanese Christianity. He had served as a cook and sacristan for the Jesuits and was baptized by Saint Paul Miki. Canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1862, his feast day is February 6 (shared with the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan).
Stored in Cargo: Saint James Kisai
| Saint James Kisai | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | February 06 |
| Profession | Jesuit lay brother; catechist; cook; sacristan |
| Rel. Affiliation | Society of Jesus (Jesuits); lay brother; one of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan |
| Patronage | Japan; the Twenty-Six Martyrs; Jesuit lay brothers; Japanese Catholics; those facing violent persecution |
| Attributes | Cross (crucifixion); Japanese setting; lance or spear (instrument of death); Jesuit symbols |
| Birthplace | Kochi Prefecture (Tosa Province), Japan |
| Death Place | Nishizaka Hill (Martyrs' Hill), Nagasaki, Japan |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; crucified and speared on Nishizaka Hill, Nagasaki, February 5, 1597, under orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi |
| Primary Shrine | Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument, Nishizaka Hill, Nagasaki, Japan — the primary memorial to the twenty-six; a major Catholic pilgrimage site in Japan |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Calendar, February 6 — Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan) |
| Historic Class | Feast (February 5/6) |
Biography
James Kisai was born around 1533 in Tosa Province (modern Kochi Prefecture) in Japan. He served for many years as a cook, sacristan, and catechist for the Jesuit mission in Japan. He was baptized by Saint Paul Miki shortly before his arrest.
In 1597 Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the regent of Japan, ordered the execution of a group of Christians — Franciscans, Jesuits, and laypeople — as a warning against the spread of Christianity. The twenty-six prisoners were taken from Osaka and Kyoto in winter, their left ears cut off as a sign of humiliation, and marched to Nagasaki. On February 5, 1597, they were crucified on Nishizaka Hill.
James Kisai was in his sixties at the time of his martyrdom — the oldest of the group. He and his companions sang the *Te Deum* and Psalm 112 (Laudate Pueri) as they were led to the cross. They were crucified and then stabbed with lances.
Pope Urban VIII beatified the group in 1627; Pope Pius IX canonized them on June 8, 1862. Their feast is observed on February 6.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Kochi Prefecture (Tosa Province), Japan
Death location: Nishizaka Hill (Martyrs' Hill), Nagasaki, Japan
Notable location: The site of the crucifixion of the Twenty-Six Martyrs on February 5, 1597; the Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument now marks the site; it is one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in Japan; the group was marched from Kyoto and Osaka to Nagasaki in winter before being executed (Nishizaka Hill (Martyrs' Hill), Nagasaki, Japan)
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Known shrines
- Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument, Nishizaka Hill, Nagasaki, Japan — major pilgrimage site; memorial to the 1597 martyrs.
Feast day
February 6
Veneration
Saint James Kisai is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church on February 6 as part of the memorial of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan, canonized in 1862.
Prayers
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