Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, was a simple

layman who died as a martyr for the faith. His

extraordinary fortitude in the face of sufferings is an
example that Christians must imitate.

Lorenzo was born in Binondo, Manila on November 28,

1594. He was among the many Filipinos in whose veins
blended the mixture of two oriental blood: Chinese from
his father and Filipino from his mother. Being of mixed
parentage, he had the advantage over many children of his
age for he could speak both the language of his father and
his mother. He studied Spanish from the Dominicans who
were in charge of the parish of Binondo, and from then he
also learned the fundamentals of faith.

Lorenzo became an errand boy of the friars and also a

sacristan. When he grew older, he was employed as an
“escribano”.

Lorenzo got married and was blessed with three children. 

Having been brought up in a Christian atmosphere, he
directed his family towards an abiding trust and love of
God. Lorenzo himself was a devout Catholic: he was a
faithful Mass-goer, was am,ong the few who were
encourage to receive Holy Communion every first Sunday
of the month, and was a great lover of the Virgin Mary. He
joined the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary and spent
some of his precious time in spreading the devotion to
Mary.Lorenzo was a happy man. All he dreamed of was to
fulfill his obligations as a husband and father. But the
serenity and peace he enjoyed was not meant to endure. He
accidentally quarrelled with a Spaniard and not long after
he was accused of homicide. No one knew how true the
accusation was but Lorenzo feared for his life so he sought
to escape from Manila.
As if to answer to his desire, he learned that Dominicans
were then preparing to embark on a mission in some place
in the Orient. Lorenzo volunteered to join the group and
with  a heavy heart bade goodbye to his loved ones. The
friars who must have known the trouble he was passing
through did not hesitate to take him. Lorenzo’s intention,
however, was to remain in Macao and there earn a
livelihood for his family.
The expedition was a clandestine one because the
missionaries were going to a forbidden place, and due to
unknown political reason, they did not pass macao, but
sailed directly to Japan. It must be recalled that  in those
days Christianity in Japan was under seige. Christians
were hunted down, put to prison and executed. When
Lorenzo became aware that his plans were thwarted and
that he was headed instead for another trouble,he was
dismayed. But after some reflection, he changed his plan
of working in Macao and decided to be a missionary
himself.Upon arrival in Okinawa, the missionaries set out
to fulfilll their mission in the forbidden country. They
proceeded secretly and cautiously. But the Japanese
proved more astute and clever. Not many days after their
arrival, their presence was discovered and they were
identified as believers because of their good behavior and
chaste conduct.
The missionaries, now including Lorenzo, were arrested
and thrown into prison where they were  badly treated.
After two long years, they were transferred to Nagasaki to
face trial. The place for the trial was not a tribunal hall but
a torture chamber, as it was customary for the
interrogators to torture the prisoners while they were being
questioned.
When Lorenzo’s turn came, he was asked the following
question:  “If we grant you your life, are you willing to
renounce your faith?”  Lorenzo gave them a quick
answer:  “I am a Christian and this I profess, and although
I did not come to Japan to become a martyr, I am now
willing to give up my life for God.  You can do with me
whatever you please.”
Lorenzo, like his companions, was sentenced to die.  The
place of the execution was Nishizaka Hill, Nagasaki, and a
similar place to Calvary.  Muzzled and handtied, the
prisoners marched barefoot to the place.  To inflict more
sufferings to the victims, death was administered slowly
and painfully.  The punishment to which the prisoners
were subjected differs one from the other.  Lorenzo was
hanged head down inside a small pit and only his limbs
were seen from above the ground.  His body was slightly
bound with a rope to slow down the flow of blood and
once in a while the torturer would make a slight cut on his
flesh, Lorenzo remained in this condition for three days.
At the end of the third day, all prisoners were found dead. 
Their remains were burned and the ashes were thrown into
the sea, near the Nagasaki harbor.  
Lorenzo died a martyr for the faith on September 29,
1637.  He and his companions were beatified in manila on
February 18,1981 by Pope John Paul II.  On October 18,
1987, after having proven the sanctity of his life through
miracles, he was canonized in Rome by the same Pontiff.
M. Ignacia del Espiritu Santo was born, lived and died
during the Spanish colonial era in the Philippines . The
precise date of her birth is not known. Her baptismal
record mentions only the date of her baptism, March 4,
1663 . This confirms the statement of Pedro Murillo
Velarde that Ignacia was 21 years old in 1684. Ignacia was
the eldest and the sole surviving child of Maria Jeronima,
an yndia, and Jusepe Iuco, a pure Chinese immigrant from
Amoy , China , who was converted to the Catholic faith in
1652 and resided in Binondo, Manila.

When Ignacia was 21 years old, her parents wanted her to

marry. Heeding a call deep within but not wanting to
disappoint her parents, Ignacia sought counsel from Fr.
Paul Klein, a Jesuit priest from Bohemia who arrived in
Manila in 1682. The priest gave her the Spiritual Exercises
of St. Ignatius. After this period of solitude and prayer,
Ignacia decided to “remain in the service of the Divine
Majesty” and to “live by the sweat of her face.” She left
home and brought with her only a needle and a pair of
scissors. She started to live alone in the house located at
M. Ignacia submitted the 1726 Constitutions to the
the back of the Jesuit College of Manila. Her life of prayer
Archdiocesan office for approval. After the approval was
and labor attracted yndias who also felt called to the
given in 1732 by the Fiscal Provisor of Manila, M. Ignacia
religious life but could not be admitted into the existing
decided to give up her responsibility as superior of the
congregation at that time. M. Ignacia accepted these
house. She lived as an ordinary member until her death on
women into her company and the first community was
September 10, 1748 . Murillo Velarde saw this as a great
born. They became known as the Beatas de la Compania
sign of her humility. She had no desire to command and
de Jesus because they frequently received the sacraments
control. In his estimation, she was a “true valiant woman”
at the Church of St. Ignatius , performed many acts of
who overcame the great difficulties which she met in the
devotion there and had the Jesuit fathers for their spiritual
foundation from the beginning to the end. She was
directors and confessors.
“mortified, patient, devout, spiritual, zealous for the good
of souls.”
M. Ignacia centered her life on the suffering Christ and
tried to imitate him through a life of service and humility.
A few months before her death, the Archbishop initiated a
She prayed earnestly to God and performed penances to
process of securing royal protection for the Beaterio. M.
move God to have mercy on them. Her spirituality of
Ignacia died without knowing the response of the Spanish
humble service was expressed in her capacity to forgive,
king but her long life in the beaterio must have taught her
to bear wrongs patiently and to correct with gentleness and
to trust in the providence of God. Little did she expect that
meekness. This spirituality was manifest in peace and
the beaterio would become a congregation and continue to
harmony in the community, mutual love and union of
exist until today, more than 300 years after her death. This
wills, witnessing to the love of Christ and the maternal
congregation, now known as the Religious of the Virgin
care of the Blessed Mother.
Mary, is a living testimony to her life as God’s handmaid
who opened the door of religious life to native women in
This spirituality sustained the beatas in their moments of the Philippines . She proved that God is the God of all
difficulties especially during times of extreme poverty, peoples, of whatever color or race.
when they even had to beg for rice and salt and scour the
streets for firewood. The beatas continued to support
The royal protection granted in 1755 guaranteed the safety
themselves by the labor of their hands and sometimes
of the beatas but it did not recognize the beaterio as a
received some financial help from pious people. In all
community of religious women. It was ordained to remain
these, they did not cease to thank God and to trust in
as a pious association. The beatas, faithful to the spirit of
divine providence.The growing number of beatas called
their foundress, M. Ignacia, continued to live the religious
for a more stable lifestyle and a set of rules. A daily
life even without being officially recognized as such. The
schedule was drawn up and community practices were
expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768 was another blow to the
defined. Following the spirit of St. Ignatius, M. Ignacia
beatas. They lost their spiritual guides but they continued
exhorted her beatas to live always in the presence of God
to enjoy the solicitude of the Archbishop of Manila and
and to develop great purity of heart. She also emphasized
other Churchmen. In the spirit of M. Ignacia, the beatas
charity in the community which was dedicated to the
lived by the sweat of their faces and persevered in their
Blessed Mother. The spirit of Mary runs through the rules
service of God through education and retreat work.
which were written for the guidance of the beatas. In
Despite attempts by the Governor-general to change the
defining her style of leadership, M. Ignacia drew
nature of the beaterio, the beatas remained true to the
inspiration from the Blessed Virgin Mary. She strove to be
vision and charism of M. Ignacia and survived the dark
the living image of Mary to her companions and exhorted
years.
them to take Mary as their model in following Jesus.

The growth of the beaterio into a Congregation and its

response to the apostolic challenges of the times show the

M. Ignacia gradually realized that the beaterio was called
by God not only to a life of prayer and penance but also to
apostolic service. The beaterio admitted young girls as
boarders who were taught Christian doctrine as well as
works proper to them. M. Ignacia did not make any
distinction of color or race but accepted yndias, mestizas
and Spaniards as recogidas. The beatas were also involved
in retreat work and helped the Jesuit Fathers by preparing
the retreatants to be disposed to the Spiritual Exercises.
vitality of the spirit of M. Ignacia. Indeed, her lamp
continues to shine as her daughters courageously strive to
respond with zeal to the call of mission in different
contexts.
The Story of the Congregation that has grown from the
small Beaterio of M. Ignacia continues to unfold. It bears
witness to the enduring vitality and strength of the
foundation, the spirituality of M. Ignacia. The lamp she lit
to guide the path of native women aspiring to the religious
life and the maturity of faith continues to shine. It remains
undimmed. The life of this lowly yndia and the fruits of
her spirituality proclaim the immense goodness of God
whose generosity is unbounded. M. Ignacia trusted in the
loving providence of God and she was never disappointed.

Blessed Pedro Calungsod 

Blessed Pedro Calungsod (1645-1672) Pedro Calungsod, a 17 year old Filipino Visayan martyred in Guam in
1672, together with the Spanish Jesuit priest now Blesse Diego Luis de San Vitores. Blessed Pedro, a native of
Cebu, Philippines and a lay Chatechist, left for Guam in 1668 with Spanish Jesuit missionaries at the tender age of
13 to evangelize the native Chamorros. Pedro was known to do frequent confession and always went to confession
and always went to Mass and communion before he went out on his missions with Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores
who had now chosen him as a personal assistant. The necessary permission from the Most Rev. Anthony Sablan
Apuron, O.F.M. Cap,Archbishop of Hagatna, Guam to instruct the cause for the beatification process of Pedron
Calungsod was granted January 6, 1994. All existing information about Pedro Calungsod is contained within the
accounts of the last day and hours of Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores, his mentor prost, his tandem martyr-the day of
their martyrdom, April 2, 162. Pedro Calungsod, teenaged martyr and catechist, was beatified in Rome in March 5,
2000 by Pope Paul II 15 years after Blessed Diego was beatified. Blessed Diego was beatified in October 6, 1985. A
PRAYER TO BLESSED PEDRO CALUNGSOD Young, migrant, student, catechist, missionary, faithful friend,
martyr, you inspire us by your fidelity, by your courage in teaching the faith in the midst of hostility, and by your
love in shedding your blood for the sake of the Gospelmake our troubles your own. (Here mention your request)
And intercede for us before the throne of mercyand Grace so that as we experience the help of heaven we may be
encourages to live and proclaim the Gospel here on earth. Amen.