How a Plaster Statue of Our Lady Changed One Young Woman's Life
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February 25, 2016 THE WANDERER www.thewandererpress.com 3B Satoko was soon leading the children of Ants Town on rag- picking expeditions. Among the adults who participated was Sa- toko’s own mother. Casting aside any concern about a Japanese woman of her refinement getting her hands soiled, she quickly tagged after her daughter and joined in her ragpicking aposto- late. It was not long after first meet- ing Brother Zeno that Satoko consecrated herself to the Immac- ulate Virgin Mary in the manner instituted by St. Maximilian Kolbe, becoming a member of the latter’s Militia Immaculatae most probably toward the beginning of 1951. The rosary that was always in her hands, tucked into her ki- mono, or beside her pillow be- How A Plaster Statue Of came the outward sign of this to- tal consecration. Praying everywhere she went, even while riding trains, she Our Lady Changed sought to attend Mass and re- ceive Holy Communion as often as possible, hindered only by her One Young Woman’s Life poor health and the considerable distance she had to travel to get to the nearest Catholic church. Part 2 come down and see! In the shop a Virgin would guide her, and asking trying to find her way to Ants But the construction of a Cath- little old man has come who looks her to pray intently for the poor. Town. When at last she located olic chapel in Ants Town at last In an earlier essay, we related the entirely like Santa Claus!” Before leaving, the friar gave her Brother Zeno, he greeted her warm- gave her the opportunity to get events leading to the conversion of The visitor was the Polish Fran- a pamphlet about Fr. Kolbe, sever- ly and began introducing her to the to Mass daily. In addition, Sato- the young Japanese university ciscan friar Brother Zeno Zebrows- al issues of the Japanese edition of grim world of Tokyo’s poorest of ko frequently visited the church student Venerable Elizabeth Maria ki (c. 1891-1982), who had come to the Journal of the Knights of the the poor. “in order to thank the Lord,” she Satoko Kitahara (1929-1958), a con- Japan in 1930 with St. Maximilian Immaculata, and some holy cards A few days before Christmas, would say. version prompted by a decisive en- Kolbe (1894-1941) to assist the lat- of the Blessed Virgin. Brother Zeno came again to see Sa- counter with a statue of Our Lady ter in his bold plan to evangelize In the evening, the shoe shop toko, this time bringing with him a “How Good It Is!” of Lourdes. In this essay we com- the country by means of his apos- assistant returned to the house, stern stranger named Matsui Toru. plete our account of her spiritual tolate of Marian consecration. breathless with excitement as he The latter, who had made himself As Satoko was pursuing her journey. Following Fr. Kolbe’s return to exclaimed, “Here….Look, Miss Sa- one of the unofficial leaders of the mission of serving the poor, her Having been baptized and con- Poland, Brother Zeno remained to toko! The evening newspaper Ants Town settlement, was a Japa- other great mission was taking firmed, Satoko, now 20, intent upon continue the work of their Japanese speaks of Santa Claus who came nese intellectual with a genuine shape — an apostolate of suffer- pursuing her dream of becoming a mission. He had just arrived in To- into the shop today.” He showed concern for the poor but also a bit- ing. The tuberculosis that had Mercedarian nun, arranged to have kyo to begin assisting the poor of her an article entitled, “A Cross at ter, snobbish contempt for Chris- blocked her entrance into the one of the sisters begin teaching this city when as he was passing Arinomachi.” tianity. He had no use for Brother convent was gradually taking its her Spanish, an official language of the shoe shop the store assistant Arinomachi, a name meaning Zeno’s piety, but he hoped the fri- deadly course. Repeatedly Sato- the congregation. Anticipating her spotted him. Thinking that Brother “Ants Town,” was a riverbank set- ar would win sympathy for the in- ko found herself bedridden with entrance into the convent with Zeno was a priest, he invited him tlement of impoverished and home- habitants of Ants Town. He and dangerously high fevers. At such great joy, Satoko packed a black in, telling him that the store own- less Japanese, many of whom were Zeno asked Satoko to prepare the times she felt useless, unable to dress for her postulancy, and er’s sister was a Christian. children. Brother Zeno was there to slum village’s children to present a continue her labors for Ants tucked her train ticket for the jour- As soon as Satoko entered the help these desperate people, just as Nativity play. Town. Yet her ceaseless recourse ney underneath her pillow as if it room Brother Zeno’s eyes were he had helped others like them else- As Satoko assisted these chil- to the rosary as she lay in bed were her engagement ring. drawn to the rosary beads dangling where in the country. Satoko felt a dren in presenting the play on was quietly doing more good for But shortly before she was to from the sash of her kimono. Sato- desire to go and see the place, but Christmas Eve, there arose in her a Ants Town than any physical la- leave for the convent, she devel- ko noticed the visitor’s thick white she did not know how to contact deep maternal love for them. She bor. oped a high fever. A doctor found beard and kind eyes, as he asked Brother Zeno. had at long last found her mission Satoko had also assimilated the that Satoko had tuberculosis. With her in Japanese, “So you have re- On December 1, as Satoko was in life. The girl who had aspired to distinctive charism of the Merce- the Mercedarians unable to re- ceived Baptism?” closing the shutters of her family’s be a concert hall pianist began us- darian congregation she had ceive her in this poor state of “I was baptized at the convent home for the evening, she noticed ing her gift for the piano to instruct longed to join, offering her life to health, she was left at a loss as to of the Mercedarians,” she an- through the window a robed figure and entertain these children. God for the good of others in the what God’s plan for her really was. swered. “Good, good! Do you, per- rushing through the wind-driven Trials were to bring Satoko’s ser- spirit of the Mercedarians’ fourth It was on a November day in haps, have the intention of becom- rain without an umbrella. It was vice to perfection. Matsui accused vow in this regard. In everything 1950 that as Satoko was helping ing a nun?” Startled by the friar’s Brother Zeno. Eager to ask him her of being a religious hypocrite. she did, Satoko had one motiva- her mother with the household keen perception of her innermost about Arinomachi, she frantically As Satoko was by nature deeply tion, as expressed in a letter she chores she heard a shop assistant thoughts, Satoko replied, “Yes, ran after him. Forgetting to take an sensitive, his insults sank like dag- wrote in 1952: from her older sister’s shoe store perhaps.” “Ah, so it is,” he an- umbrella, she became soaked as gers into her, to which she re- “How much greater should the calling out to her, “Lady Satoko, swered, adding that the Blessed she wandered through the streets, sponded by blaming herself and joy of our Heavenly Father be if making ever greater demands upon instead of saving only myself I herself. His criticisms were cruel shall lead to Him hand in hand so and arrogant, but they were to many other souls, saving them Good And Bad Angels serve as God’s instruments in steer- from the pains of hell!” ing the young woman toward a life In the lives of holy souls we (Continued from 1B) Although the exorcist has pow- The well-known lengthy prayer of total immolation in the service of tend to expect the moment of ness which He always gives with er to expel the devil, the possessed of Pope Leo XIII against Satan and the poor, which in turn was to death to be marked by some pro- joy. But sin is always an act against person must cooperate with the the rebellious angels is not for use transform Matsui himself. Less found final word or incident. In God’s will, an act of disobedience. help furnished by the Church by by the laity. The short prayer of than three years after meeting Sa- Satoko’s case, when that moment There are times when the action making a good Confession, by Leo XIII to St. Michael is recom- toko for the first time, he was bap- came, she was simply a little girl of the opposition demons is too Mass, prayer, use of the sacramen- mended for general use. tized. again in the tender care of her much for a person to get rid of, and tals, and by observance of the There is one important thing Satoko resolved to live like the mother. At 7:00 in the morning of the help of the Church is needed Commandments. that we should note that Satan can- poor of Ants Town. As these peo- January 23, 1958, as Satoko was to expel it from the person.