Satoko kitahara biography

Childhood and war Satoko Kitahara was born in Japan on 22 August 1929 as one of five children (four girls and one boy).
Satoko Kitahara – later known as Elisabeth Maria Kitahara – was a Japanese Roman Catholic.
Satoko Kitahara was born into a Shintoist family on August 22, 1929, in Tokyo.

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Venerable Satoko Kitahara

Despite her upbringing in an affluent Tokyo suburb, Satoko Kitahara shared with other Japanese the trauma of war. In the wake of the firebombing of Tokyo, her country’s defeat, and the disillusioning exposure of militarist lies, she suffered a profound crisis of faith. Her spiritual journey led her to seek baptism as a Catholic. From then on, she wrote, “I experienced a desire amounting almost to a necessity to ‘serve,’ which seemed to be a natural accompaniment to being a follower of Christ.”

After reading an article about a shantytown of homeless squatters not far from her home, she found her opportunity to serve. The residents of this so-called Ants Town supported themselves by collecting recyclable rubbish. Satoko began to volunteer her time among them, offering lessons to the children and organizing excursions. But eventually she was challenged by one of the community leaders. He mocked the “charity” of Christians who simply offer handouts or donate their extra time. Had not Christ emptied himself to take on the life of a slave? Stunned

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Venerable Elizabeth Maria Satoko Kitahara

The Heroicity of Virtue of MI Member Satoko Kitahara

On Tuesday, January 13, 2015, the Ordinary Assembly of Cardinals and Bishops of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints voted favorably to approve the heroicity of virtue of the Servant of God, Elizabeth Mary Satoko Kitahara.

Satoko Kitahara was born into a Shintoist family on August 22, 1929, in Tokyo. Raised in pre-war Japan, she began university studies after the war ended, amidst a rapidly evolving society.

She initially bumped into Christianity by chance, but afterwards, was greatly influenced by various consecrated people. After attending catechism classes, she was baptized at the age of 20 and received the name of Elizabeth and, at Confirmation, Maria. She came under the influence of Friar Zeno Żebrowski who had come to Japan with St. Maximilian Kolbe and, after the war, committed himself to caring for destitute survivors. Like him, Elizabeth Maria also devoted her life to those in need, in particular, the children of the rag-pickers living in the “Village of Ants”

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Following his acclaimed work, A Song for Nagasaki, in which Fr. Paul Glynn told the powerful story of Dr. Nagai, a Christian convert of remarkable courage and compassion who ministered to victims of the atomic bomb attack on his city, The Smile of a Ragpicker brings us the heroic story of Satoko Kitahara, a young, beautiful woman of wealth who gave up her riches and comfort to be among the ragpickers in the Tokyo slums. Motivated by her newfound faith in Christ, she plunged into the life of the poor, regardless of the consequences.

As Satoko helped the poor with their material and spiritual needs, she also helped them to recover their self-respect and dignity. Satokoಙs story demonstrates how one personಙs life can affect so many others.

Every day Satoko encountered Christ in some new and challenging way, calling the Church back to identification with the poor. Like Dr. Nagai, she expressed her faith through the sensitivity and beauty of her own Japanese culture. Satoko died a young woman, in dire poverty. Yet her death, mourned by many thousands, reflected her triumphant life of