Lawrence Ruiz and Companions

Biography

Lawrence Ruiz (1637-1637) was a Filipino lay missionary and the first Filipino saint. Born in Manila to a Japanese father and Filipino mother, he worked as a printer and catechist. In 1636, he joined Dominican missionaries as a lay assistant on a mission to Japan, despite Japan's persecution of Christians. Alongside priests and fellow workers, Lawrence endured imprisonment and torture for refusing to renounce his faith. On September 28, 1637, he was martyred in Nagasaki, Japan, along with fifteen companions including Dominican friars and Japanese Christians. Their collective sacrifice demonstrates the faith of both clergy and lay workers during Japan's Christian persecution. Lawrence Ruiz exemplified the courage of ordinary believers willing to die for their convictions. Canonized in 1987, he represents the universal call to holiness and the crucial role of lay missionary work. His feast celebrates all sixteen martyrs who witnessed to Christ in extreme adversity.