1614 — ●Dec. 21, 1614 – Arrival in Manila of ●Dom Justus Ukon Takayama (1552 Toyono-cho, Osaka-1515 Intramuros, Manila) with the first boatload of 350 Catholic refugees and migrants exiled from Japan.

This first boatload presaged the arrival of Catholic refugees and migrants from Japan for the next 262 years.

1615 — ● Feb. 3, 1615 – Death of Justus Ukon Takayama in the Jesuit (now PLM) Compound, Intramuros, Manila – Takayama’s home for 44 days.

1634 — ● Oct. 5, 1634 – [SERVANT OF GOD, Original Manila Process]: Petition sent to the Vatican by the Manila Archdiocese proposing the Japanese-born Christian Samurai Takayama as the first Manila Catholic to be considered for sainthood. Takayama is thus the Philippine Church’s first “Servant of God.”

1899 — ● Imbedding of bone fragments of the Servant of God, Justus Takayama as the altar-stone of the Society of Jesus’ San Ignacio Church-II in Intramuros

1937 — ● Feb. 3, 1937 – XXXIII Eucharistic Congress in Manila adopts resolution promoting Canonization Cause of Servant of God, Justus Ukon Takayama.

1963 — ● Nov. 14, 1963 – Manila Cardinal Rufino J. Santos “seconds” Takayama Beatification Cause to Osaka Bishop (later Cardinal) Paul Yoshigoro Taguchi (Prot. No. 821 / 63).

1964 — ● April 24, 1964 – [SERVANT OF GOD, Osaka Process]: CCS approves re-initiation of the dormant “Causa Historica” of Takayama by the Diocese of Osaka, newly recognizing him as “Servant of God.”

1977 — ● Nov. 17, 1977 – Inauguration of the Takayama Memorial as the centerpiece of the Philippines-Japan Friendship Park at Plaza Dilao, Paco, Manila.

1987 — ● Aug. 20, 1987 – Jesuit General Postulator commissions Prof. Ernesto A. de Pedro, to translate to English, pro-bono, the “Positio: Servus Dei, Justus Takayama Ukon: Materia Praeparata Pro Propositione Super Virtutibus Servi Dei Justi Takayama Ukon” submitted in 1975 by the Catholic Bishops Conference of Japan (CBCJ).

1987 — ● Nov. 17, 1987 – First Walking Tour of “Lord Takayama’s Manila” for Takatsuki pilgrims.

1988 — ● Sept. 29, 1988 – Japanese and Filipino history buffs organize “Takayama Ukon Kensho Zaidan” (English: Lord Takayama Jubilee Foundation), the first support group for Takayama’s Sainthood Cause, now carried on by the “Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama.”

1992 — ● Nov. 17, 1992 – Takayama Memorial declared as a National Monument by the National Historical Commission.

1994 — ● June 10, 1994 – Jesuit General Postulator, Fr. Paolo Molinari, SJ, submits “Positio: Servus Dei, Justus Takayama Ukon” to CCS.

Takamatsu Bishop Francis Xavier Osamu Mizobe, SDB (1935-Feb. 29, 2016), who was in charge of the Cause, explained why it took 30 years (1964-1994): “One reason why the process for Ukon was going so very slowly was that many of the documents were written in German [and Portuguese]. This delayed the initiation of the investigation.

“The officials decided that all these German [and Portuguese] documents had to be translated into English and it had taken quite a long time to find a suitable translator.

“Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro, professor at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila, agreed to undertake the task of translation. He finished his work in 1994, so from then on, the CCS could move forward.”

2015 — ● The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ) decided to switch the category of the “Cause of Takayama” from “CONFESSOR” (as originally proposed in “Positio: Servus Dei, Justus Takayama Ukon” | Manila: Lord Takayama Jubilee Foundation, 1994) to “MARTYR” (as documented in Fr. Anton Witwer, SJ, “Positio Super Martyrio,” Rome: 2015).

2016 — ● Jan. 21, 2016 – [VENERABLE]: Pope Francis authorizes the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints (CCS) to publish Decree of Martyrdom declaring the Servant of God, Justus Ukon Takayama as a “layperson … from Japan [who] died from the hatred of the Faith on Feb. 3, 1615 in Manila, Philippines.”

2017 — ● Feb. 7, 2017 – [BLESSED]: Beatification Rites for “Venerable Justys Ukon Takayama of Manila” in Osaka Archdiocese, Japan.

2018 — ● Feb. 3, 2018 – First Liturgical Feast Day of Blessed Takayama in Japan and the Philippines.

Also on Feb. 3, 2018, the first 60 Takayama Pilgrims from Japan visited the old Jesuit compound where the ‘Kirishitan Samurai’ Justo Takayama died on Feb. 3, 1615. For the first time, they trod on ground where Blessed Takayama (1552-1615) spent his last days.

2018 — ● Dec. 21, 2018 – Manila City Council issues Resolution declaring December 21 every year as “Blessed Takayama Ukon Day” in Manila, per Resolution No. 273, Series of 2018, adopted on December 10, 2018.

2019 — ● July 25, 2019 – Pope Francis imparts Apostolic Blessing to Dr. Ernesto A. de Pedro and “Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama.”◘

Dr. Ernesto A. De Pedro, PhD
Lead Promoter
Prayer Warriors of Blessed Takayama of Manila