Yamada Church

After the discovery of the numerous hidden Christians in Ikitsuki Island

in 1865, they began to work on recovering their Catholic faith although

they were not too successful at first.

Then in 1878, a priest named Fr. Pelu came to Hirado and baptized

many people who are said to be the ancestors of the churchgoers of Yamad

a Church today.

 

The butterfly-wing decorations adorning the wall surface of the church interior

was personally made and painted on by the priest at the time, and the

mosaic-like paintings are made from actually, ground butterfly wings.

These are considered as one of the church’s “seven sacraments.”

In 1981, St. Thomas Nishi along with 15 other martyrs were beatified in the

Philippines. St.Thomas was later canonized and a statue of him was built in

commemoration of his canonization, in a garden in Ikitsuki.