September
28
Saints of the Day
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions,
1600-1637, Lawrence Ruiz
First Filipino canonized martyr with horrible
torments in Nagasaki, Japan
Chinese
father,
Filipino
mother, both Christians. He learned Chinese and Tagalog from them, Spanish from
the
Dominicans whom he served as
altar boy
and
sacristan.
Professional calligrapher and documents transcriptionist. Member of the
Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. Married
layman,
and the
father
of two sons and a daughter.
For unknown reasons, Lorenzo was accused of
murder.
He sought asylum on board 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. Only when they were at sea did he learn that they were going to
Japan during a time of intense Christian persecution.
Lorenzo could have gone to Formosa (modern Taiwan), but
feared the
Spaniards there would hang him, and so stayed with the
missionaries as they landed at Okinawa. The group was soon exposed as
Christian,
arrested, and taken to Nagasaki.
He underwent inhuman tortures and valiantly
confessed his Christian Faith. Refusing to renounce his Faith, he told his
executioner that he was ready to die for God and give himself for many thousands
of lives if he had them. On September 27, 1637, he was hung from a gallows by
his feet, his body falling into a pit. After two days of agony, he died of
bleeding and suffocation. His body was cremated and the ashes thrown into the
sea. He and fifteen companions, martyred in the same persecution, were
beatified by Pope John Paul II in Manila on February 18, 1981 and elevated to
full honors of the altar by canonization on October 18, 1987 in Rome.
See the list below.
First canonized
Filipino
martyr.
- Born c.1600
at Binondo, Manila,
Philippines
Died 29-30 September
1637
at Nagasaki,
Japan
by being crushed over a period of three days while hanging upside down; body
burned, ashes thrown into the Pacific Ocean
Beatified
18 February
1981
by
Pope
John Paul II
Canonized
18 October
1987
by
Pope
John Paul II
Additional Information
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintl17.htm
Life Story of Saint
Lorenzo Ruiz
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Readings
Governors: "If we grant you life, will you renounce your faith?"
Lawrence: "That I will never do, because I am a Christian, and I shall
die for God, and for him I will give many thousands of lives if I had them.
And so, do with me as you please."
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