The World Heritage "Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region" preserve the memory of the Christians who observed their faith during 250 years of religious prohibition. Many of these sites are in the Nagasaki area, where the Virgin Mary was particularly venerated. The secrecy of their faith is evident in objects of worship, including a seashell bearing a human-like image and statues of a Buddhist deity. Both were proxies for images of Mary. These Christians held onto their faith despite the threat of oppression and death, believing that Mary was life. We look at what the prayers of these people can tell us today.