Also known as Laurence Ruiz; Lawrence Ruiz

Memorial

28 September

Profile

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. They were tortured in several ways for days. Lawrence and the Japanese priest broke at one point, and were ready to renounce their faith in exchange for release, but after their moment of crisis, they reclaimed their faith and defied their tormentors. 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

Prayers

For novena prayer to San Lorenzo Ruiz. Click here

Additional Information

Open Directory Project
Mother of Life Center
Catholic Online
Filipino Apostolate, Archdiocese of New York
Most Improbable of Saints, Philippine Post Magazine

Reading

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.”