
The Trinity Dome features a litany of saints who are associated with the United States and the National Shrine. From Mother Teresa to St. John Paul II, these heroes of the faith inspire us to pursue the path of holiness. In this final installment of our Saints of the Trinity Dome series, we invite you to learn more about St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Pope Paul VI.
This post is Part VI in a series – read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, and Part VI.
St. Lorenzo Ruiz
Lorenzo Ruiz was born on November 28, 1594, in Binondo, Manila. His Filipino mother and Chinese father were both devout Christians and each taught him their native tongue. When he grew older, he served as an altar boy and a calligrapher in their local church, and eventually joined the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. For a time, Lorenzo lived in happy tranquility: he married a Filipino woman named Rosario and they had two sons and a daughter together. But while he was employed as a clerk at the church in Binondo, something happened that would forever change the course of Lorenzo’s life: he was falsely accused of murder.
Providentially, three Dominican priests happened to be setting sail for Japan at the time, and they took Lorenzo with them to seek asylum. Along for the voyage were also a leper named Lazaro and a Japanese priest named Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz. Unfortunately, persecution in Japan intensified during this time – and soon after they arrived, they were arrested and imprisoned.
Two years passed by, and they were transferred to Nagasaki, where they were tortured in unspeakably cruel ways, culminating in their subjection to tsurushi on September 27, 1637. This Japanese method of torture involved hanging the victim bound upside-down over a pit, leaving one hand free to pull a rope indicating the victim’s willingness to recant and thus be set free. Throughout the excruciating pain, Lorenzo remained steadfast in his faith until the end. He died of suffocation and blood loss on September 29 of 1637, at age 42. Missionary accounts of his death record that he spoke the following in Latin before he passed:
“I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly do accept death for God;
Had I a thousand lives, all these to Him shall I offer.”
After being canonized on October 18, 1987, he became the first Filipino saint. He is the patron of people working overseas and altar servers, and is portrayed in the Basilica in the Trinity Dome.
St. Pope Paul VI
Born on September 26, 1897, in Concescio, Italy, Giovanni Battista Montini was raised in a middle-class family of five. After completing his initial studies at a school in Brescia, he was ordained at the age of 23, completed his graduate studies in Rome, and became part of the Vatican Secretariat of State. Giovanni worked there for 30 years, using his position to support Jews and refugees during World War II, as well as serving as chaplain to the Federation of Italian Catholic University students. 10 years later, after he was appointed archbishop of Milan, he visited factories to reach out to laborers who had grown indifferent in their faith, calling himself “archbishop of the workers.” Four years later, Pope John XXII made him a cardinal, and he served in that role until he was elected pope on June 21, 1963, when he took the name Paul VI.
Soon after his election, Pope Paul VI guided the final three sessions of the Second Vatican Council and oversaw the fulfillment of its new decisions throughout the Church, seeking to maintain its traditions while ensuring its effectiveness in a changing world. He is credited for his encyclical “affirming the Church’s stance against artificial birth control, and also for his stance reaffirming celibacy for priests. While in office, Pope Paul VI instituted many changes to the Church offices, including founding the World Synod of Bishops, enabling more countries to have their own cardinals, and placing age limits on certain positions. He was also the first pope to institute the practice of Apostolic Journeys, taking nine international trips over the course of his reign and making the first papal trip to the continent of Asia. After just over 15 years in office, Pope Paul VI passed away at Castel Gandolfo on August 6, 1978. He was beatified on October 19, 2014, and canonized on October 14, 2018, leaving behind a legacy of ecumenicism and compassion.
Sources:
Rohling, Geraldine M., PhD, MAEd. The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: Guide and Tour Book. Washington, D.C.: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 2018.
“Paul VI,” The Vatican.
“Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions,” Franciscan Media.
“Saint Paul VI,” Franciscan Media.
“St. Lorenzo Ruiz,” Catholic.org.
“St. Paul VI,” Britannica.