[Life and Works of Rizal]

Rizal’s Execution
Last Hours of Rizal. At 7:00 a.m., December 29th, an hour after hearing his death
sentence, Rizal was moved to the prison chapel, where he spent his last hours on earth. He
requested that his old professors in the Ateneo assist him on his last moments. His first visitors
were Mr. Miguel Saderra Mata (Rector of the Ateneo Municipal) and Fr. Luis Viza.
At 8:00 a.m., Fr. Antonio Rosell arrived to relieve Father Viza. At 9:00 a.m., Fr. Federico
Faura arrived. At 10:00 a.m., Fathers Jose Viclara (Rizal’s teacher in the Ateneo) and Vicente
Balaguer visited Rizal. At 4:30 p.m., Rizal’s mother arrived. After the mother, Trinidad (Rizal’s
sister) entered the room. At 10:00 p.m., the draft of the retraction from Archbishop Bernardino
Nozaleda arrived.
At 5:00 a.m., Rizal had his last breakfast. After the breakfast, he autographed some
religious pictures and books which were his last souvenirs to his mother, his sister Josefa, and
his sister Trinidad.
By 6:00 a.m., Rizal was ready to have his rendezvous with death at Bagumbayan Field.
At 7:00 a.m., he had to die, by order of Governor Polavieja.