Saint Lorenzo

Lorenzo Ruiz (Filipino: Lorenzo Ruiz ng Maynila; Chinese: 李乐伦; pinyin: Lǐ Yuèlún; Spanish: Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila), born on November 28, 1594, in Maynila (now known as Manila) and died on September 29, 1637. He was a Filipino Catholic layman and a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. As a Chinese Filipino, Lorenzo Ruiz became his country's protomartyr after being executed by the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan during its persecution of Japanese Christians in the late 17th century. His execution marked a significant moment in Christian history as he was canonized on October 18, 2014, becoming the first Filipino saint and the patron saint of the Philippines and the Filipino people.