There are many yet to be told and told but known to the few stories about the gradual but heroic spread of our dear Christian faith in many parts of the world. How many incorrupt bodies like that of St. Philomena are yet to be discovered and how many hidden sacrifices against one's own people for the sake of the faith may never be known or are almost forgotten by the few that knew it. Yet we know, according to Marcus Garvey, that "a people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."
The History of Christianity in Japan, like every other little beginning of Christianity, in need of some precious blood of Martyrs for seeds, had its share of martyrdom and persecutions. The tales of the 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki in Japan is quite known to many Catholics who are interested in the history of our Catholic heritage. Nevertheless, very few knows the story, struggles and rebellions of a Catholic Samurai, Shiro Amakusa in an effort to save the lives of tens of thousands of Christians. This struggle is now known as the Shimbara rebellion.
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