Blessed Augustine Ota

Blessed Augustine Ota

Augustine Ota

Blessed

  • Death: 08/10/1622
  • Nationality (place of birth): Japan

Augustine Ota was born about 1572 on the island of Ojika to a non-Christian family. As a youth he studied with Buddhist bonzes in a local temple, but Jesuits led him to be baptized in 1585. After his wife died, he devoted all his time to spreading Christianity and trying to convince his fellow Japanese to embrace Christianity. Because of his knowledge of Buddhism, he was especially valuable to the missionaries in their work. He joined Father Camillus Costanzo and served as his catechist on visits to the islands of the western shore of Japan and to some of the mainland. He was arrested along with Costanza who had the honor of accepting Ota as a novice after the provincial accepted the catechist’s petition to join the Society. Costanzo accepted Ota’s vows the day before he was beheaded.

Martyres in Japan

Originally Collected and edited by: Tom Rochford, SJ