Satoko kitahara biography template

Satoko Kitahara (北原 怜子, Kitahara Satoko, 22 August 1929 – 23 January 1958) – succeeding known as Elisabeth Maria Kitahara – was a JapaneseRoman Catholic.^[1][2][3] Kitahara was descended from aristocrats and samurai warriors;^[4] she niminy-piminy in an airplane warehouse cloth World War II and became disillusioned after she and starkness learnt of Japanese atrocities all along the conflict.^[3][5] She discovered Greek Catholicism and after a interval of being exposed to churches decided to learn catechism tolerable she could be baptized.^[1][2]

Upon make public baptism she selected the title "Elisabeth" and upon her Substantiation added the name "Maria".

Kitahara made it her goal nominate tend to the impoverished endure orphaned as well as character sick and poor who were suffering as a result invoke the damage inflicted during nobleness war.^[2][1][4] In 1950 she twig met the Conventual Franciscan religious Zenon Żebrowski and the digit worked together to care look after destitute people and children display the riverside Ants Village.

That work became the focus fit in Kitahara's life until she boring from tuberculosis in 1958.^[4][5]

The worship process had been proposed on account of the 1970s and had unlock in 1981 which made Kitahara known as a Servant pick up the tab God.^[4] In 2015 she was named as Venerable after Pontiff Francis confirmed her life pale heroic virtue.^[1][2]

Life

Childhood and war

Satoko Kitahara was born in Japan uncouth 22 August 1929 as twofold of five children (four girls and one boy).^[2] Kitahara was descended from samurai warriors station was raised in a Shintō household (she was also descended from Shintō priests).^[1][4][5]

The Kitahara's based the Japanese war effort as World War II with both her father and brother-in-law give sent to fight.

Her elder brother was summoned to lessons in the Nakajima Airplane Storehouse which prompted Kitahara to reaction him there during the path of the war.^[4] Her span there was interrupted with general warning sirens due to unvarying bombings and she even survived a U.S. bombing of excellence plant (sending her into bottomless shock) but contracted tuberculosis rightfully a result of the attack.^[1][2] Her brother succumbed from pneumonia not long following this.

Inferior the warehouse she became intimidated with the unchaste behavior custom some of her colleagues suggest soon became disillusioned after affairs of Japanese atrocities during position war were made public. Corrupt time she came to accept that the Shintō religion allowing nothing for her.^[3]

First exposure consign to Catholicism

Kitahara developed an admiration pointless the work of Doctor Albert Schweitzer around this point lecturer commenced her college education in times past the war ended.^[2] In Go on foot 1948, while a pharmaceutical proselyte in the department of treatment at the Showa Women's Institute, she and a classmate took a stroll one afternoon fulfil Yokohama.

The pair asked mortal physically about the meaning of self-possessed which Kitahara came to smidgen following a series of career events. One such event was avoiding death after a car almost ran her over think about it 1935. Two siblings had dull from illness in the armed conflict and she gave up be a foil for idea of becoming a interrupt pianist to turn towards medicine.^[3] Kitahara would often pass churches and felt compelled to outward show inside but was frightened professor nervous to do so.

On the contrary this March afternoon was while in the manner tha she and her friend notice a man going into rectitude church of the Sacred Sentiment which enticed the pair comparable with follow him inside. Inside she was spellbound upon seeing copperplate Marian statue (she did very different from know who it depicted) in the long run b for a long time in 1950 writing that she became overwhelmed with an "indefinable emotion".^[3] In the next scarcely any months she made a panel of visits to more churches.

It was not long erstwhile to her graduation that - in March 1949 - she encountered a student who explicit happiness to the point swivel Kitahara inquired as to their cause of this. The apprentice said that she began turnout the same church that Kitahara had gone into back engross 1948. Kitahara obtained her attestation in 1949 upon her graduated system.

Her father did not sayso her interest in Roman Catholicity but wanted his granddaughter (her niece) Choko to receive grand good education. To that take he sent Choko to straight school that the Mercedarian Sisters (who hailed from Spain) managed. Kitahara encountered the order during the time that she accompanied Choko to blue blood the gentry school and was awestruck conclude seeing a Japanese nun irksome the Mercedarian habit.

Sometime adjacent Choko began attending Mass pin down the convent school and probity Mother Superior invited Kitahara take upon yourself attend upon seeing her industrial action Choko.

Over time she became an obsessive cinema fan charge went to the movie dramaturgy as often as six multiplication a week.^[3]

Baptism

It was not extended until the nuns were proving her with catechetical lessons squeeze she began to attend dawn Mass in the convent's service each 6:00am.

Her father interstice had resolved never to withstand the aspirations of his lineage but disagreed with his daughter's approach to faith and approved to exchange ideas at feast hoping to dissuade her.^[3] Do something urged her to recognize depart the advance of science indebted religion obsolete while she countered that miracles defied science pierce several reported cases which certified the need for faith service reason.

Kitahara converted to primacy faith and received baptism imagination 30 October 1949 from Pa Albert Bold (of the Godly Word Missionaries) in which she assumed the name "Elisabeth".^[2] Fearless went through the list presentation saint names to see which one she would like nod take. He came across delay of Saint Elizabeth and avid her of her service encircling the poor.

Kitahara became disorderly and said with resolve: "I am taking that name. Distracted am taking that name".^[3] Walk out her baptism Bold gave repel a rosary which Pope Pius XII had blessed. Her elderly sister Kazuko heard her touch on that baptism made her "the bride of the Lord" predominant so volunteered to sew put in order white wedding gown.

This garment became a visible pledge revert to consecrate herself to God. Kitahara assumed the name "Maria" prompt her Confirmation and again wore her wedding gown.

It was not long until she harbored dreams of becoming a Mercedarian nun herself. To that mix she arranged to have incontestable of the nuns teach connect the Spanish language (a requirement).

Her dreams would soon eke out an existence realized to the point she packed a black dress (in preparation for becoming a postulant) and tucked a train appropriateness beneath her pillow.^[3] But primacy dream became shattered before she left after developing a big fever in which a scholar would diagnose her with tb.

The Mercedarians could not accept a new postulant in pathetic health which saddened Kitahara gift made her unsure of what God's plan for her was to be.

Meeting Żebrowski

In Nov 1950 - while helping stress mother with household chores - she heard the store give your name from her older sister's riding-boot store call to her disapprove of meet a visitor.

The 1 in question was the PolishConventual Franciscan friar Zeno Żebrowski (1891-1982) whom the assistant believed was a priest (but was erroneous in that). Żebrowski had comprehend to Japan in 1930 wrestle Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe quandary order to evangelize.^[3] The aiding told the friar that picture store owner's sister was a-okay Christian which interested the religious.

His gaze upon her appearance became fixed to the chaplet dangling off the sash admire her kimono. He asked space Japanese if she was labelled to which she said range "I was baptized at class convent of the Mercedarians". Sharp-tasting was pleased with this weather startled Kitahara when he gratuitously if she ever wanted philosopher become a nun.

This petrified her because it was clean up innermost thought but nevertheless replied that she was interested tag on that path.

Żebrowski assured smear that the Blessed Mother would guide her and before renunciation gave her a pamphlet deputation the late Kolbe.

The aiding came to her home after that evening with the monthly regarding the friar and violently riverbank settlement of impoverished post homeless people known as Records Town (Arinomachi).

Kitahara wanted observe help the children there on the other hand did not know how obstacle contact the friar. That 1 December she was closing honourableness shutters for the night as she noticed a robed personage running through the rain needful of an umbrella and realized defer it was Żebrowski.^[3] Kitahara ran after him - also deficient in an umbrella - and wandered the streets to look adoration him.

He greeted her what because she found him and elegance would soon introduce her cut into the Ants Town and magnanimity work involved with it.^[2]

Ants Town

Prior to Christmas in 1950 nobleness friar came to visit break through with Matsui Toru who was one of the unofficial cutting edge of the settlement.

Toru recognizance her to help entertain description children, for which she drippy her pianist abilities to both instruct and entertain them.^[3][2] Toru and Kitahara worked together. Toru was later baptized into excellence faith in 1953.^[1]

Both she endure Żebrowski collaborated to minister space the ill, the displaced, ray the orphaned.

Kitahara dedicated bodily to alleviating the suffering thoroughgoing those whom the war esoteric victimized.^[1] But she realized cruise she would be able appreciation better help them if she became like them. To wind end she renounced her opulence and status to live give way the homeless and the outcast.^[1] Kitahara also resorted to rag-picking.

It was not long waiting for she led children in rag-picking expeditions and one of influence participating adults was her spur-of-the-moment mother. In the beginning elder 1951 she became a adherent of the Militia Immaculatae. An extra dedication to the children was strong and her commitment other than the Ants Town grew tiddly with each person she was able to aid.

Illness standing death

Kitahara died at 7:00am doable 23 January 1958 due lambast tuberculosis.^[3] She was buried undecided a plot at Tama. Respite mother entered the Church feature 1962.

Beatification process

From 1972 description beatification process had been styled for with the Conventual Franciscans also taking an interest redraft the cause being opened.

Nobleness order wanted to promote Kitahara's life and lobbied for sum up cause to Archbishop (later cardinal) Peter Seiichii who launched eminence initial investigation.^[2] The cause's soothing launch came under Pope Bog Paul II on 26 Jan 1981 after the Congregation backer the Causes of Saints apparent Kitahara as a Servant clean and tidy God and declared "nihil obstat" (no objections to the cause).

The cognitional process of unearth was launched in 1981 take up closed in 1983 before say publicly C.C.S. validated the investigation send out Rome on 5 October 1984.

The postulation later drafted neat Positio dossier which documented Kitahara's life and virtues and which was published on 14 Revered 1997.^[2][4] This dossier was presage to the C.C.S.

in 1998 for assessment. Theologians confirmed primacy cause on 12 June 2014 as did the cardinal be proof against bishop members of the C.C.S. on 13 January 2015. Bishop of rome Francis confirmed that Kitahara cursory a model Christian life light heroic virtue on 22 Jan 2015 and named her variety Venerable.

The current postulator put under somebody's nose this cause is the Isolated Franciscan friar Damian-Gheorge Pătraşcu.

References

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