St Lawrence Ruiz and Companions

CATHOLIC SAINTS 28-12-2023, 19:39

St Lawrence Ruiz and Companions Saint of the day September 28

 

 

St Lawrence Ruiz and Companions Martyrs (c.1600-1637) Saint of the day

 

September 28

 

St Lawrence (Lorenzo) Ruiz is the first Filipino to be canonized. He was born in Manila of a Chinese father and a Filipino mother, both Christians, from whom he learnt Chinese and Tagalog. As a lad, Lorenzo assisted at Mass as an “altar- boy” and, as an adult, went on to become a full-fledged member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary under the auspices of the Dominicans, from whom, incidentally, he learnt Spanish. Lorenzo married and had three children, when life for him took an abrupt turn in 1633 he was falsely implicated in a case of homicide. Coincidentally, three Dominican priests, Antonio Gonzalez, Guillermo Courtet and Miguel de Aozaraza, were, despite the ongoing persecution, about to set sail for Japan along with a Japanese priest, Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz, a layman named Lazaro, a leper and a few others. Having sought and obtained asylum with them, Lorenzo too set sail with them, though without knowing their destination until after departure! On reaching Japan, it was not long before they were found out, arrested and taken to Nagasaki by a decree of the emperor Tokugawa Yemitsu, as part of his policy to purify Japan from the influence of Christianity.

 

The torture they were all subjected to was as follows: huge quantities of water would be forced down their throats and then, being made to lie down flat, guards would stand on both ends of long boards placed on their stomachs thus forcing the water to squirt out violently from the various parts of the anatomy, including the mouth, nose and ears. Even bamboo needles were inserted beneath their fingernails.

 

Death soon followed in the case of some. Further torture followed for the five survivors, including Lorenzo, who were at times tempted to apostatize. But, comforted and strengthened by mutual support, their faith constantly grew deeper, Lorenzo even becoming bolder and audacious with his interrogators. The final act of torture meant to put them to death was being hanged upside down in pits. Tightly bound, to slow down circulation and prevent speedy death, they were left hanging for three days. Lorenzo and Lazaro having died as a result, the three surviving Dominican priests were beheaded.

 

Lorenzo and his companions, numbering 15, hailing as they did from Spain, France, the Philippines and Japan itself, were beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1981 and canonized in 1987.

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