Travel for Life

Virgin Mary Statue from France Marks "Discovery of Christians" at Oura Cathedral Built in 1864 by French priests Louis Furet and Bernard Petitjean ,  Ōura Cathedral , officially known as the Basilica of the Twenty-Six Holy Martyrs of Japan, stands as a testament to faith and endurance in  Nagasaki . This Catholic church was erected to honor the 26 martyrs executed in 1597 and quickly became a landmark. It was Japan’s first Western-style building to be designated a  National Treasure  in 1933, and it remains the oldest surviving Christian church in the country. Originally a small wooden church, it was expanded into a grand Gothic-style brick basilica by 1879. A pivotal moment in its history occurred in 1865 when hidden Christians from Urakami revealed their faith to Father Petitjean, an event known as the “Discovery of Christians.” This remarkable revelation came after more than 250 years of secrecy due to Japan's ban on Christianity. The cathedral miraculously surviv...