Lorenzo Ruiz

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Saint Lorenzo Ruiz
I am a Catholic and happy to die for God. If I have a thousand lives to offer, I will offer them to God.
Protomartyr of the Philippines
Born	c.1600-1610, Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Died	29 September 1637, Nagasaki, Japan
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Beatified	18 February 1981, Manila, Philippines by Pope John Paul II
Canonized	18 October 1987, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Major shrine	Binondo Church in Binondo, Manila, Philippines
Feast	28 September
Patronage	Filipino youth, Chinese-Filipinos, the Philippines, Overseas Filipino Workers, people living in poverty.
Saints Portal

Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (c. 1600 – September 29, 1637) or Laurence Ruiz or Lawrence Ruiz was born in Binondo, Manila. His Chinese father taught him Chinese, and his Filipino mother taught him Tagalog. Both of his parents were Catholic.^{[1][2][1][3][4]}

[edit] Early life

Ruiz served as an altar boy at the convent of Binondo church. After being educated by the Dominican friars for a few years, Ruiz earned the title of escribano (stenographer) because of his skillful hand and unsurpassed penmanship. He became a member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. In 1636, while working as a clerk at the Binondo Church, Ruiz was falsely accused of killing a Spaniard. Prior to this incident, his life with his Filipino wife, two sons and a daughter was peaceful, religious and full of contentment. But after the allegation, Ruiz sought asylum on board a ship with three Dominican priests: Saint Antonio Gonzalez, Saint Guillermo Courtet, and Saint Miguel de Aozaraza, a Japanese priest, Saint Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz, and a layman named Saint Lazaro of Kyoto, a leper. Ruiz and his companions left for Japan on June 10, 1636 with the aid of the Dominican fathers and Sr. Domingo Gonzales.^[1][2][3][4]

[edit] Exile to Japan

The boat landed at Okinawa and the group was arrested and persecuted based on their Christian religion. They were brought to Nagasaki on July 10, 1636. They were tortured through hanging by their feet, by submerging in water until near death, and by water torture. Needles were also pressed in between their finger nails and skin and they were beaten until unconscious. These methods brought some of Ruiz's companions to recant their faith. But Ruiz never lost his faith. On September 27, 1637, Ruiz and his companions were taken to the "Mountain of Martyrs", where they were hung upside down into a pit known as horca y hoya. This mode of torture was considered as the most painful way to die at the time because it involved the use of rocks to add weight to the person being punished. The individual being tortured suffocated quickly while being crushed by his the weight. Two days after, Ruiz died from hemorrhage and suffocation. His body was cremated and his ashes were thrown into the sea.^[1][2][3][4]

[edit] Path to sainthood

Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified in Manila on February 18, 1981 by Pope John Paul II during his Papal visit to Manila. San Lorenzo Ruiz was elevated to Sainthood and canonized by Pope John Paul II in the Vatican City, Rome on October 18, 1987. Ruiz's beatification was the first one to be held outside the Vatican. San Lorenzo Ruiz became the first Filipino saint and martyr.^[1][2][3][4]

[edit] 20th anniversary

On September 29, 2007, the Catholic Church celebrated the 20th anniversary of Ruiz’ canonization in 1987. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales said: “Kahit saan nandoon ang mga Pilipino, ang katapatan sa Diyos ay dala-dala ng Pinoy (Wherever the Filipino may go, he carries his faith in God).” ^[5]

[edit] Current and Possible Filipino Saints

[edit] See also

• Chapel of San Lorenzo Ruiz
• Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan
• Jeronima de la Asuncion
• Pontificio Collegio Filippino
• Three Fertility Saints of Obando, Bulacan, Philippines
• The First Filipino Nun

[edit] Books about San Lorenzo Ruiz

• Carunungan, Celso Al. To Die a Thousand Deaths: A Novel on the Life and Times of Lorenzo Ruiz, Social Studies Publications, Metro Manila, Philippines, 1980, 198 pages and Amazon.co.uk - ASIN B0000EE1BX, retrieved on: 10 June 2007

[edit] External links

• Saint Lorenzo Parish Community, Walnut, California, StLorenzo.org, retrieved on: 10 June 2007
• Cause for Beatification [[1]]

[edit] References