Life of
St. Magdalene
of Nagasaki
Group 4
St. Magdalene of Nagasaki
• Magdalene was born in 1611 near Nagasaki,
Japan.
• She was the daughter of Christian couple
martyred together with her siblings.
• In 1624, she was acquainted with two
Augustinians, members of the Recollect
Congregation, Francis of Jesus and Francis of
Saint Anthony.
• Magdalene was attracted by their deep
spirituality and became a Japanese committed
Christian who served as a translator and
catechist for the Augustine Recollect
missionaries.
St. Magdalene of Nagasaki
She became tertiary of the Order of Augustinian
Recollects, appealing with its emphasis on the search for God,
interiority, and community teaching catechism to the young,
seeking aims for the poor, encouraging her people in times of
persecution.
At age 23, she died on October 15, 1634 after thirteen
days of torture, suffocated to death and her body was cremated
and her ashes scattered in Nagasaki Bay.
Feast Day of St. Magdalene Nagasaki:
September 28
“Oh God, the prize and crown of the martyrs, who wanted to
save the world by the sacrifice of Christ, your Son, help us so that
like St. Magdalene of Nagasaki we may learn to offer our lives for
others. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
BEATIFICATION
Three hundred and forty-seven years
later, on February 18, 1981, Pope John
Paul II honored Magdalena with the title of
Blessed at Vatican City among the 16
Martyrs of Japan. On October 18, 1987,
World Mission Day, she was solemnly
canonized in Rome by the same Holy
Father.
Titles of St. Magdalene
• St. Magdalene Nagasaki is
the Patroness of Secular
Augustinian Recollects.
• Virgin and Martyr
A Miracle of St. Magdalene
Miracle before her death
• Magdalena was left hanging for several hours
by her arms until the ropes broke and she fell
to the ground. Then she had bamboo spikes
stuck under her fingernails and she was
forced to scratch and claw the ground next
came sadistic variation on the water torture,
forcing the victim to swallow large quantities
of water and then applying pressure to force
the writer, tinged with blood out of mouth,
nose and other organs. Eventually the tortures
had to give up.
St. Magdalene of Nagasaki
Icons and Symbols
Sta. Magdalene de Nagasaki at Official Image of St. Magdalene Collage of Sta. Magdalene de Sta. Magdalena de Nagasaki by
the Seminary of St. Ezekiel de of Nagasaki by Adriano Nagasaki by Esteban Peña, Giovanni Hajnal At the Curia of
Pozos de Santa Ana (Costa Rica) Ambrosioni OAR the order of St. Augustine in
Rome, Italy
St. Magdalene of Nagasaki
Icons and Symbols
Symbols
The official picture of Magdalene of Nagasaki wearing a habit of an
Augustinian Recollect Tertiary.
• a black long habit with white stylized wimple covering her neck
• a palm leaf which symbolizes martyrdom and a rosary in her hands.
• carrying a bag which alludes to her life that she is a catecheist and
an interpreter for the missionaries.
Another depiction of her is used by the Dominicans for their own
devotion.
• wearing a kimono while holding a cross in her hands.
• wears a veil with a crown or halo on her head.
• More depictions show the differences of her picture such as holding
a palm leaf and rosary in separate hands.
Values of St. Magdalene of Nagasaki
• Unswerving faith, brave
spirit and conviction
Thanks for listening!
Group 4 members:
Jarrah Fernandez
Errol John Gabasa
Jeneva Mae Geocadin
Karel Gonzales
John Vincent Ho
References
http://prieststuff.blogspot.com/2014/06/images-of-santa-
magdalena-de-nagasaki.html?m=1
https://www.marypages.com/magdalene-of-
nagasaki.html#:~:text=Three%20hundred%20and%20forty%2Dse
ven,by%20the%20same%20Holy%20Father
https://www.augustinian.org/saints-
1/october-20
