Our Lady of Akita: Weeping Statue

Beginning on June 12, 1973, the Blessed Mother gave three Messages to Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa in Akita, Japan through a carved wooden statue of Mary. The statue, bathed in a brilliant light, would “come alive” and speak with a “voice of indescribable beauty.” I’ll talk about these messages in June, on the anniversary of their delivery.


Beginning thirty-five years ago today, January 4, 1975, the statue of the Blessed Virgin from which this indescribable voice came from, wept 101 times over the course of several years (last recorded occurrence was September 15, 1981 on the Feast of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows). The status was also observed to “perspire abundantly” with the perspiration sending out a sweet perfume, witnessed by hundreds of people. Lastly, the right palm of the statue bled from a wound that had the form of a cross—an identical wound that developed on Sister Agnes’ right hand.

These miraculous events were witnessed by hundreds and scientific analysis revealed the blood, tears, and perspiration from the statue were human. Several miraculous cures are on record, including recovery from terminal brain cancer and the complete cure of Sister Agnes’ total deafness.