Saint Magdalena of Nagasaki
Stored in Cargo: Saint Magdalena of Nagasaki
| Saint Magdalena of Nagasaki | |
| Feast Day | October 28 (Augustinians); September 28 (Japanese Martyrs) |
|---|---|
| Liturgical Class | |
| Patronage | Japan; Augustinian tertiaries; persecuted Christians |
| Birthplace | Nagasaki, Hizen Province, Japan |
| Death Place | Nagasaki, Hizen Province, Japan |
| Cause of Death | martyrdom |
| Primary Shrine | Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument, Nishizaka Hill, Nagasaki, Japan |
Saint Magdalena of Nagasaki (Japanese: 長崎のマグダレナ; 1611 – 15 October 1634) was a 17th-century Japanese Augustinian tertiary and virgin martyr, one of the 205 Martyrs of Japan canonized for her heroic fidelity during the Tokugawa Shogunate’s Great Persecution.[1] Born in Nagasaki to devout Christian parents martyred in 1619, Magdalena was orphaned early and raised by Augustinian missionaries, entering the Third Order of Saint Augustine at age 15 under the spiritual direction of Blessed Francis of Jesus and Blessed Vincent of Saint Anthony.[2] After her confessors were executed in 1632, she publicly declared herself Christian, surrendered to authorities, and endured thirteen days of the “pit” torture (tsurushi) – suspended upside-down over a pit of excrement – while singing the Laudate Dominum, finally dying on 15 October 1634 at age 23, as recorded in contemporary Jesuit and Augustinian letters.[3] Her calm endurance and final invocation of Jesus and Mary converted onlookers and strengthened the hidden Christians (Kakure Kirishitan).
Beatified on 18 February 1981 by Pope John Paul II in Manila and canonized on 18 October 1987 in Rome among the 16 Martyrs of Nagasaki (part of the 205), Magdalena’s cause relied on historical documentation of martyrdom rather than post-mortem miracles, though a group healing miracle was authenticated for the 1987 canonization.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/homilies/1987/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_`