Story of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz | Stories of Saints for Kids | EP84
Summary
TLDRSaint Lorenzo Ruiz, a Chinese-Filipino Catholic, became the Philippines' first martyr after his execution in Japan during the 17th-century persecution of Christians. Born in Manila, he was multilingual and served as a clerk and unofficial Dominican messenger. Implicated in a murder, he fled to Japan unknowingly joining a secret mission, leading to his arrest and torture. Despite the offer to renounce his faith for freedom, he remained steadfast, ultimately dying a martyr's death. He is now the patron saint of Filipino youth, overseas workers, and altar servers.
Takeaways
- 🙏 Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is a Filipino saint recognized in the Catholic Church.
- 🌐 He was of Chinese-Filipino descent and became the country's first martyr.
- 📚 Born around 1600, he was multilingual, speaking Tagalog, Spanish, and Chinese.
- 🏫 He was educated by Dominican friars and served as an altar boy.
- 🔍 Lorenzo was a skilled calligrapher and clerk, known for his honesty.
- 👨👩👧👦 He was married with three children and maintained close ties with the Dominicans.
- 🚨 Accused of murder, he fled to avoid an unfair trial under Spanish colonial rule.
- 🚢 Unknowingly, he joined a secret missionary to Japan, thinking he was going to Macau.
- 🔒 Upon arrival in Japan, he and the missionaries were arrested and tortured.
- ❌ Despite the emperor's offer, they refused to renounce their faith.
- 💔 Lorenzo and the other missionaries were executed for their steadfast beliefs.
Q & A
Who is Saint Lorenzo Ruiz?
-Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is a Filipino saint venerated in the Catholic Church, known as the country's proto-martyr after his execution in Japan during the 17th century persecution of Japanese Christians.
What was Lorenzo Ruiz's background?
-Lorenzo Ruiz was a Chinese-Filipino born around 1600 in Manila to a Catholic Chinese and Filipino couple. He was taught Chinese by his father and Tagalog by his mother.
How many languages did Lorenzo Ruiz speak?
-Lorenzo Ruiz spoke three languages: Tagalog, Spanish, and Chinese.
What was Lorenzo Ruiz's profession?
-Lorenzo Ruiz was a professional calligrapher and a clerk, inspired by the Dominicans who taught him Spanish and how to read and write.
Why did Lorenzo Ruiz join the confraternity of the Holy Rosary?
-Lorenzo Ruiz was inspired by the Dominicans, who noticed his honesty and trustworthiness, and eventually made him their unofficial messenger.
What happened to Lorenzo Ruiz that led him to flee his home?
-Lorenzo Ruiz was implicated in the murder of a Spaniard and, knowing the colonial inequality of the courts, decided to leave his home to seek a safe place to hide.
How did Lorenzo Ruiz end up in Japan?
-Lorenzo Ruiz confided his problem to Father Domingo Gonzalez, a Dominican priest, who allowed him to board their ship, which was part of a secret missionary to Japan.
What was the persecution faced by the missionaries in Japan?
-The missionaries were arrested and thrown into prison due to a violent persecution against Christians enforced by Emperor Tokugawa Yamitsu to prevent the spread of Christianity in Japan.
What was the offer given to the missionaries by the Emperor of Japan?
-The Emperor offered the missionaries to leave Japan as long as they were willing to renounce their faith.
How did Lorenzo Ruiz react to the torture he witnessed?
-Initially terrified, Lorenzo Ruiz found relief and courage after praying the rosary and started comforting his companions in jail, asking them to have faith in the Lord's grand plan.
What is the most notable miracle attributed to Saint Lorenzo Ruiz?
-The most notable miracle attributed to Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is the healing of a two-year-old girl, Cecilia Allegria Polycarpio, suffering from a rare brain disease, after her family and supporters prayed to Ruiz for his intercession.
When and where was Lorenzo Ruiz beatified?
-Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified by Pope John Paul II on February 18, 1981, in the Philippines, marking the first beatification ceremony held outside the Vatican.
Who is Saint Lorenzo Ruiz the patron saint of?
-Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is the patron saint of Filipino youth, the Philippines people working overseas, and altar servers.
Outlines
🌏 The Life and Persecution of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, a Chinese-Filipino, is revered as the Philippines' first martyr. Born around 1600 in Manila, he was multilingual due to Spanish rule and his parents' Chinese and Filipino heritage. Lorenzo was well-educated, becoming a professional calligrapher and clerk, and was admired for his honesty and trustworthiness. He married Rosario and had three children, leading a peaceful life until he was implicated in a murder and fled to Japan on a secret missionary ship. Upon arrival, he and the missionaries were arrested and subjected to brutal torture under the Tokugawa shogunate's persecution of Christians.
🙏 Trials and Martyrdom of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz
In Nagasaki, the missionaries faced trials and torture for their Christian faith. Emperor Tokugawa offered them freedom if they renounced their faith, but they refused, leading to their execution. Lorenzo, despite witnessing the torture of others, found courage through prayer and comforted his companions. He was subjected to water torture and was hung upside down but remained steadfast, refusing to renounce his faith even when offered mercy. Lorenzo and the other missionaries died from bleeding and suffocation. Lorenzo was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1981 and canonized in 1987. He is the patron saint of Filipino youth, overseas workers, and altar servers.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Saint Lorenzo Ruiz
💡Catholic Church
💡Proto-martyr
💡Tokugawa Shogunate
💡Confraternity of the Holy Rosary
💡Calligrapher
💡Martyrdom
💡Torture
💡Canonization
💡Patron Saint
💡Miracles
Highlights
St. Lorenzo Ruiz is a Filipino saint venerated in the Catholic Church.
He became the country's proto-martyr after his execution in Japan.
Lorenzo was a Chinese-Filipino born around 1600 in Manila.
He was fluent in Tagalog, Spanish, and Chinese due to his heritage and the Spanish rule.
Lorenzo was a professional calligrapher and clerk, known for his honesty and trustworthiness.
He was a member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary and served as a messenger for Dominican friars.
Lorenzo married a Filipino woman and had three children.
He was implicated in a murder and fled to avoid an unfair trial under Spanish law.
Lorenzo confided in a Dominican priest and joined a secret missionary to Japan.
The missionaries were arrested upon landing in Japan for the persecution of Christians.
They faced trial by torture and were offered freedom if they renounced their faith.
Lorenzo and the missionaries refused to renounce their faith, leading to their execution.
During torture, Lorenzo found courage through prayer and comforted his companions.
Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1981, the first beatification outside the Vatican.
He was canonized in 1987, becoming the first Filipino saint.
St. Lorenzo Ruiz is the patron saint of Filipino youth, overseas workers, and altar servers.
Miracles are attributed to St. Lorenzo, including the healing of a two-year-old girl with a brain disease.
Transcripts
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saints
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saint lorenzo ruiz is a filipino saint
venerated in the catholic church
a chinese filipino he became his
country's proto-martyr after his
execution in japan by the tokugawa
shogunate during its persecution of
japanese christians in the 17th century
lorenzo was born around 1600 in the
binando district of manila to a catholic
chinese and filipino couple
his father taught him chinese while his
mother taught him tagalog
the spaniards ruled over the lands for
333 years and because of this lorenzo
spoke three languages tagalog spanish
and chinese
he attended a school run by spanish
dominican friars as well as serving as
an altar boy and is a christian for the
church in his district of manila
the dominicans for their part taught
lorenzo spanish as well as how to read
and write
so good was his penmanship that he
eventually became a professional
calligrapher and a clerk
inspired by the dominicans lorenzo
joined the confraternity of the holy
rosary contemporaries noticed in a
particular way his honesty and
trustworthiness
to the point that the dominican friars
made him their unofficial messenger as
well
[Music]
lorenzo grew up and married a filipino
woman named rosario and with her had
three children
he continued to work as a clerk and as a
translator for the spaniards and their
life remained normal lorenzo kept his
close ties with the dominicans and
helped them in ministering to the people
in manila especially those in the
bonando district
he led a peaceful and content life
his normal life took a bad turn when he
was implicated in the murder of a
spaniard one day
nothing further is known except the
statement of two dominicans that he was
sought by the authorities on account of
a homicide to which he was present or
which was attributed to him
ruiz couldn't trust the courts he knew
that much
a lifetime of colonial inequality had
taught him that a legal battle between
spaniards and filipinos under spanish
laws wasn't a legal battle at all
he knew that he couldn't turn to the
government for help
he decided to leave his home and seek a
safe place to hide for a while
he said goodbye to rosario and left home
in the darkness of night
he confided his problem to father
domingo gonzalez a dominican priest
the priest was kind towards lorenzo and
he was allowed to board their ship
little did lorenzo know that they were
part of a secret missionary to japan
lorenzo was under the impression that
they were headed to macau he was quite
surprised when they told him that they
were headed to japan
the three dominican priests were saint
antonio gonzalez saint guillermo quartet
and saint miguel de azura and saint
miguel de auzaraza there was a japanese
priest present named saint vicente
shiwozuka de la cruz
and also a lay leper saint lazaro of
kyoto
all of them sailed for okinawa on june
10 1636
as soon as the group landed in japan
they were arrested
a violent persecution against christians
was being enforced by emperor tokugawa
yamitsu to prevent the spread of
christianity in japan
the missionaries were arrested and
thrown into prison and after two years
they were transferred to nagasaki to
face trial by torture
the group endured many and various cruel
methods of torture
back in manila rosario never heard a
word from lorenzo and no one knew what
had become of him
once the group of missionaries reached
nagasaki they were to face trials and
torture for being a christian
the emperor gave them an offer they
could leave japan as long as they were
willing to renounce their faith
the missionaries agreed to leave japan
but they said they will never renounce
their faith
this made the shogun lord extremely
furious for none has ever refused the
shogunate before
unaccustomed to rejection the shoguns
considered the group's decision as an
insult to their empire and immediately
sent the prisoners to their slow and
painful execution
while they were put back in the jail
they witnessed the tortures other
prisoners had to endure for not obeying
the emperor
the prisoners were forced to drink
inhuman amounts of water
they were stabbed
pressed
soaked and repeatedly crushed
their captors emphasized that the
torture would stop if they renounced
their faith
when lorenzo saw this he got terrified
for a moment it was just a moment when
he fell into a spiritual darkness
he quickly prayed the rosary and found
relief and had more courage than before
he even started comforting his
companions in jail asking them to have
faith in the lord's grand plan
that night he prayed the rosary as often
as he could
then came the day of execution
the missionaries were subjected to water
torture first
despite the painful torture the men
refused to renounce their faith
following this the soldiers hung the
missionaries upside down over a large
pit
one among the soldiers took pity on
lorenzo and persuaded him to renounce
his faith to end his agony
lorenzo answered
this i will never do because i am a
christian
and i shall die for god and for him i
would give many thousands of lives if i
had them and so do with me as you please
lorenzo died from bleeding and
suffocation and so did the other
missionaries
saint lorenzo ruiz died as he lived a
servant of the lord
there are countless miracles attributed
to saint lorenzo ruiz
the one that stands out the most was the
story of cecilia allegria polycarpio a
two-year-old girl suffering from a rare
brain disease
one night as her family and supporters
prayed to ruiz for his intercession the
saint appeared to her in a vision
in her recollection cecilia said she was
lying on her bed unable to move from the
pain when she noticed a light
she remembered seeing a man holding a
rosary looking up to the heavens
the following morning her illness was
completely gone
she was able to sit on the bed by
herself for the first time in her life
lorenzo was beatified by pope john paul
ii on february 18 1981.
the
ceremony was held in the philippines
making it the first beatification
ceremony ever held outside the vatican
his canonization took place at the
vatican on october 18 1987
saint lorenzo ruiz is the patron saint
of filipino youth the philippines people
working overseas and altar servers
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saints
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