About Holy Martyrs of Japan · Sullivan, Missouri
Church of the Holy Martyrs of Japan is a small Roman Catholic parish in rural Franklin County, Missouri, situated in the unincorporated community of Japan about 66 highway miles southwest of downtown St. Louis. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and is currently pastored by Rev. Noah Waldman, who also serves the neighboring parishes of St. Anthony in Sullivan and St. Gerald of Aurillac. The parish takes its unusual name from the 26 martyrs crucified in Nagasaki on February 5, 1597 — a story so embedded in local identity that the surrounding community and its post office were likewise called 'Japan.' Mass is offered three days a week, with Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation on Thursdays.
- Established
- 1879
- Patron
- The Holy Martyrs of Japan (St. Paul Miki and Companions)
- Rector
- Rev. Noah Waldman
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of St. Louis (Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Louis)
Why belong here
Holy Martyrs of Japan offers a quietly faithful rural Catholic life in the Ozark hills of Franklin County, with daily and Sunday Mass, weekly Eucharistic Adoration on Thursdays, and a pastor committed to forming 'missionary disciples who know and live the Faith.' As a small mission-turned-parish that has worshipped under the same patron since at least the 1870s, it gives Catholics in the Japan community a deeply rooted parish home linked sacramentally with St. Anthony in Sullivan and St. Gerald in St. Gerald. It is an ideal parish for those seeking a smaller, close-knit congregation with deep historical character.
Mass times at Holy Martyrs of Japan
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Thursday 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- Also after Tuesday and Wednesday morning Masses
Adoration times
- Thursday 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Parish History and the Village of Japan
The parish of the Holy Martyrs of Japan is older than the surrounding community's identity. The 26 martyrs crucified on the 'Holy Mountain' above Nagasaki on February 5, 1597 — priests, brothers, and laymen of Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese blood — gave their name to this corner of southwestern Franklin County. The local post office operated under the name 'Japan' from 1860 to 1908, and the village itself takes its unusual name from the church rather than from the East Asian nation. Archdiocesan records for the parish date to 1879, and by 1897 the congregation numbered about 125 parishioners. It remained a mission church until 1923, when it was formally constituted as its own parish.
- Earliest sacramental records: 1879
- Fire destroyed some records in 1896
- Mission church until 1923
- About 125 parishioners in 1897
- Post office 'Japan' operated 1860–1908
The Pearl Harbor Naming Controversy
After the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, anti-Japanese sentiment briefly swept the country, and some Missourians pushed to rename the village of Japan, Missouri. The agitation was checked when the parish's pastor explained the heroic origins of the name: the village commemorated not only the cruelty of the Japanese persecutors but also the Japanese capacity for sanctity and martyrdom. The community voted to keep its historic name, and it has retained it ever since as a small but distinctive piece of Ozark Catholic heritage.
- 1941 attempt to rename the village
- Pastor told the martyrdom story to local residents
- Community voted to retain the name
Patron: The 26 Holy Martyrs of Japan
The parish is named for the Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, observed each year on February 6. The 26 martyrs included Franciscans, Jesuits, and laymen of mixed Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese origin, crucified in Nagasaki in 1597 during a fierce persecution that drove Christianity underground in Japan for roughly three centuries. A mural inside the church depicts the scene of their martyrdom, and informational displays explain practices such as the 'fumie' — images of Christ or Mary that suspected Christians were required to step on to prove they were not believers, used from 1629 until the mid-19th century.
- Feast day: February 6 — Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions
- 26 martyrs crucified February 5, 1597 in Nagasaki
- Martyrs included Franciscans, Jesuits, and laymen
- Exhibits inside the church explain the 'fumie' practice
Building, Setting, and Architecture
Holy Martyrs of Japan is a modest white clapboard church whose plain exterior hides a richly decorated interior. Tall native pines of the Ozarks surround the building, and a small shrine or grotto marks the grounds. Inside, yellow stained-glass windows along the sides pour warm golden light into the sanctuary; a stained glass window faces south above the altar; and a mural at the back of the church depicts the 1597 Nagasaki martyrdom. The parish's slogan — 'God's Grace in a Country Place' — reflects its remote, pastoral setting in the southwest corner of Franklin County.
- White clapboard exterior in the rural Ozark style
- Yellow stained-glass side windows
- South-facing stained glass above the altar
- Rear mural of the Nagasaki martyrdom
- Small grotto/shrine on the grounds
- Slogan: 'God's Grace in a Country Place'
First Saturday / Fatima Devotion
On the First Saturday of each month, Fr. Waldman celebrates Mass at 8:00 AM at Holy Martyrs Church for the Five First Saturdays devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as requested by Our Lady at Fatima. The Mass is preceded by the recitation of the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary and includes the opportunity for confession.
- First Saturday Mass at 8:00 AM at Holy Martyrs
- Preceded by the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
- Confessions heard before Mass
Parish Staff and Clergy
Holy Martyrs of Japan is shepherded jointly with two other Sullivan-area parishes — St. Anthony in Sullivan and St. Gerald of Aurillac in St. Gerald — under the care of one pastor. Sacramental and faith-formation services are coordinated through the linked parish staffs.
- Rev. Noah Waldman — Pastor (since July 2023)
- Deacon Kevin Miller (serving the linked Sullivan-area parishes)
- Robin Kaufman — Finance and Rectory Secretary (linked parish staff)
- Marcia McKay — RCIA Coordinator, Safe Environment Coordinator, Bulletin Editor (linked parish staff)
- Lisa Boyle — PSR Coordinator (linked parish staff)
Faith Formation and Sacramental Preparation
Holy Martyrs of Japan participates in the regional Catholic faith formation programs coordinated by the linked Sullivan-area parishes. Adults interested in entering the Catholic Church are served through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), and parish school-aged children attend the Parish School of Religion (PSR). Sacramental preparation for Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage is available through the parish office.
- RCIA — coordinated through the Sullivan-area parish cluster
- Parish School of Religion (PSR)
- Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Marriage preparation
Contact, Location, and Directions
The parish office can be reached by phone at (573) 627-3378, with a fax line at (573) 627-3387. Email correspondence is directed to [email protected], and the parish's directory page is hosted on the Archdiocese of St. Louis website. The mailing and physical address is 8244 Highway AE, Sullivan, MO 63080, in the unincorporated community of Japan, about 66 highway miles southwest of downtown St. Louis.
- Phone: (573) 627-3378
- Fax: (573) 627-3387
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: 8244 Highway AE, Sullivan, MO 63080
- Driving directions: I-44 exit 225 → Hwy 185 N (2 miles) → Hwy H (6 miles) → Hwy AE (1/4 mile)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Noah WaldmanJuly 2023 – present
Also serves as pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Sullivan and St. Gerald of Aurillac in St. Gerald.