ST. SEBASTIAN, ST.

EZEKIEL
AND THE AUGUSTINIAN
RECOLLECT SAINTS
Sit Dolor Amet
 Saint Sebastian
◦ According to his legend, he was born in Gaul, went to Rome, and joined (c. 283) the
army of the emperor Carinus, later becoming a captain under Diocletian. When it was
discovered that he was a Christian who had converted many soldiers, Sebastian was
ordered to be killed by arrows.

◦ In AD 283, Sebastian went to Rome and served as a Praetorian Guard

under Diocletian and Maximian. Considering his physical built and endurance, he was
soon promoted to captain. At that time, there were twin brothers Marcus and
Marcellian who were put in jail for refusing to make public sacrifices to Roman gods.

◦ Sebastian made numerous converts: among them were the master of the rolls,
Nicostratus, who was in charge of prisoners and his wife, Zoe, a deaf mute whom he
cured; the jailer Claudius; Chromatius, Prefect of Rome, whom he cured of gout; and
Chromatius’ son, Tiburtius. Chromatius set the prisoners free, freed his slaves, and
resigned as prefect.

◦ When it was discovered during Maximian’s persecution of the Christians that Sebastian
was indeed a Christian, he was ordered executed. He was shot with arrows and left for
dead, but when Irene, the widow of St. Castulus went to recover his body, she found he
was still alive and nursed him back to health. Soon after, Sebastian intercepted the
Emperor, denounced him for his cruelty to Christians, and was beaten to death on the
Emperor’s orders.

◦ Saint Sebastian was venerated at Milan as early as the time of St. Ambrose and was
buried on the Appian Way. He is patron of archers, athletes, and soldiers, and is
appealed to for protection against plagues.
Augustinian Recollect Saints

By Enrique A. Eguiarte, OAR

 St. Ezekiel Moreno
(1848-1906)
Saint Ezequiél Moreno y Díaz, OAR was a member
of the Order of Augustinian Recollects and now
venerated as a Saint in the Catholic Church. He
was born on April 9, 1848 in Alfaro, La Rioja, Spain
and later served as a missionary to the Philippines.
He also became the Bishop of Pinara and later of
Pasto, in Colombia.
Assigned in Calapan, Mindoro as a newly-ordained
assistant parish priest of his brother Father
Eustaquio Moreno, then in Palawan for which he had
volunteered; then back to Mindoro, He was also
assigned to Las Piñas, Sto. Tomas (Batangas),
Intramuros, Santa Cruz (Manila) and Imus (Cavite).
St. Ezekiel
◦ 1885 back to the convent of Monteagudo in Spain to be the prior
◦ Episcopal motto: Refugium meum et fortitude mea es tu. (You are my refuge and my strength.)
◦ 1888 went to Colombia to work for the restoration of the Augustinian Recollect Province of
Candelaria
◦ Because of his great love of God and care for souls, the Holy See appointed him Apostolic Vicar of
Casanare in Colombia in 1893 and he received the episcopal consecration on May 1, 1894
◦ Suffered in the hands of the enemies of the Faith and the Church and from cancer of the throat,
tongue and palate
◦ St. Ezekiel professed his monastic vows on September 22, 1865; left Marcilla, Navarra on October
4, 1869 for the Philippines; arrived in Manila on February 10, 1870; received his minor orders in
June 1870 at the Cathedral of Jaro in Iloilo; June 2, 1871 was ordained priest at the Manila
Cathedral
St. Ezekiel
◦ June 6, 1871 given his first pastoral assignment in Calapan, Mindoro
◦ February 23, 1872 to Puerto Princesa in palawan; December 1872 to Aborlan and Inagawan; caught
malaria and returned to Manila in January 1873; went to Talisay Negros Island to undergo
hydrotherapeutic treatment under Fr. Fernando Cuenca
◦ May 10, 1873 sent back to Calapan as parish priest and later vicar provincial of the whole Mindoro island
◦ June 1876 named parish priest of las Piñas; In July 1879 appointed parish priest of Santo Tomas,
Batangas; Ocotber 1880 elected preacher of St. Nicholas Convent in Intramuros and parish priest of Sta.
Cruz, Manila
◦ 1882 administrator of the recollect Estate of Imus and prior of its religious community
◦ 1885 elected prior of Monteagudo, navarra; 1888 left for Colombia to restore Province of Candelaria
◦ 1894 consecrated Bishop in Bogota as Apostolic Vicar of Casanare
◦ June 10, 1896 took possession of the Diocese of Pasto
St. Ezekiel
◦ 1906 operated twice in Madrid
◦ August 19, 1896 he passed away in Monteagudo at the foot of Our
Lady of the Way
◦ Beatified in Rome by Pope Paul VI on November 1, 1975
◦ Canonized by St. John Paul II at Santo Domingo in the Dominican
Republic on October 11, 1992 during the Fifth Centennial of the
Evangelization of Latin America
Blessed Francisco de Jesus: Fidelity until
Death (Ablaze in Love’s Embrace)
◦ Assigned in Zambales in the Philippines (1620-1622)- a region where the natives had committed violent
acts against the Recollect missionaries and some even suffered martyrdom in that region years after
◦ 1623 Nagasaki, Japan until 1626 left for a remote region up north
◦ Joined the order when he was 22 and died at 25
◦ He heard the call of God to go to the mission in the Philippines but was taken by God’s will to the
remote lands of Japan
◦ Was always on the go and constantly changing residence to seek a safe place to hide
◦ Loved by the Japanese natives and collaborated with Saint Magdalene of Nagasaki
◦ Arrested in November 18, 1629 through the denunciation of a Christian after being tortured;
incarcerated in Nagasaki jail with other Augsutinians, confined for two years in small wooden cages
Blessed Francisco de Jesus: Fidelity
until Death (Ablaze in Love’s Embrace)
◦ May 1590- birth in Villamediana (Palencia, Spain); June 2 baptized
◦ Parents- Pedro Terrero and Maria Perez
◦ 1597 to 1604 lived with and educated by two clergymen uncles after death of
parents
◦ 1607 studied at the Jesuit school in Palencia
◦ 1612 went to Valladolid ; 1614 entered the convent of the Augustinian Recollects;
November 11, 1615 monastic profession
◦ 1616 assigned to the community of Nava del Rey in Valladolid to finish his studies
◦ 1618 ordained as priest in Valladolid
Blessed Francisco de Jesus: Fidelity
until Death (Ablaze in Love’s Embrace)
◦ 1619 volunteered for the Philippines; June 24, 2016 left Cadiz; April 9, 1620 embarked
at Acapulco; August 16, 1620 reached Manila
◦ September 1620-September 1622 assigned to Zambales
◦ October 21, 1622 named vice prior of St. Nicolas Convent in Intramuros
◦ April 28, 1623 embarked for Japan and arrived on June 20, 1623
◦ October 11, 1623 reached Nagasaki; Nov. 18, 1629 arrested imprisoned for 2 years
◦ December 11, 1629, imprisoned in Omura
◦ Nov. 26, 1631 transferred to “The Hell” (Unzen) in Arima for 31 days
◦ January 5, 1632 returned to Nagasaki prison; September 3, 1632 suffered martyrdom
◦ July 7, 1867 beatified by Pope Pius IX