March 17,1865 − It was the day that Christians who hid and formed underground
organization to avoid the persecution of the government were discovered
after 250 years of hiding. The event is known as "the discovery of
believers" or "the revival of Christians."And the historic
event was triggered by profession of a serene woman named Isabelina Yuri
Sugimoto.Due to the persecution of Christians persisted from 16th Century, the number of matyrs increased. Without missionaries to teach them, many Christians pretended to be buddhists in public and kept their faith underneath the surface. They formed underground organization to inherit their faith to their sons and handed down the prayer and doctorine.
There also were Christian farmers who carried on their faith over seven generations in Urakami Village, neighboring Nagasaki. The family of Yuri was one of them. They could sustain their faith in spite of the continued persecution probably because of the prophecy of Bastian who died martyr in late 17th Century. It is said that Bastian used to be a porter boy of Fukahori Bodaiji (a Catholic cathedral) or that he was working at a church. At his death, he left words of prophecy such as "Confessor will come seven generation later and people will be able to make confession every week. The teaching of Christianity can be spread freely everywhere..."
"Seven generations later, people will be freely worship God..." Christians then must have entrusted their hope to the children of seven generations later and passed on their faith and prayer. When it became seventh generation since the prophecy was spoken, Japan's national seclution came to an end. In 1858, The US-Japan Treaty of Amity and Commerce was concluded and chapels for French people were to be built in their reservations, Yokohama and Nagasaki. Ooura Cathedral was completed on December 29, 1864. Although its formal name is "Japanese 26 Saints Church," the villagers of those days called it "French temple." The building was built in the combination of Romanesque, Gothic and Japanese styles and many people visited the temple every day for its uniqueness.
Christian farmers of Urakami also came to see the new French temple. Then they saw Madonna and Child sat right side of the altar facing the cathedral. Soon a rumor was whispered all over the village, "Saint Mary is at the French temple." The villagers considered that "If there is Saint Mary , the foreigner there must be a priest." However, even then freedom of faith then was allowed only to foreigners and severe Christian prohibition was continued to be enforced toward Japanese. Therefore, careless actions must not be taken. Elder people suggested the villagers to wait and see how things turn out. However, a serene midwife, Isabelina Yuri (52 years old), who is usually quiet insisted to go to the French temple, saying "I want to go to the French temple and meet the priest."
(Miriam Yamamoto is responsible for the wording of this article.)