When the atomic bomb detonated over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, it reduced the historic Urakami Cathedral to rubble and claimed the lives of everyone inside. Among the few artifacts salvaged from the ashes was the scorched wooden head of a Virgin Mary statue, recognizable by its solemn, hollow-eyed gaze. Today, this revered relic rests in a dedicated chapel within the rebuilt cathedral as an enduring symbol of peace and spiritual resilience. Each year on the anniversary of the bombing, the relic is carried outside during a peace procession to honor the victims.
- Sacred Spaces
- World War II
- Statues
- Churches
- Memorials
- Relics
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