A street in Puerto Princesa, Palawan has been renamed St. Ezekiel Moreno in honor of the well-venerated patron saint of cancer.
St Ezekiel Moreno (Facebook)
Puerto Princesa’s City Council on Tuesday renamed Taft Street to St. Ezekiel Moreno, a Spanish missionary priest who celebrated the first mass in Palawan’s capital 151 years ago.
A statue of the revered saint may be found outside the Immaculate Conception Cathedral which is located on the now St. Ezekiel Moreno street.
An Augustinian Recollect, the priest served as Puerto Princesa’s first prison and military chaplain.
Puerto Princesa Bishop Socrates Mesiona filed the petition for the renaming of the street.
“Naming a street in his honor will surely help perpetuate his significant contributions as recorded in our history. The decision of the city government is very timely especially now that we are celebrating the 400 Years of Christianity in Palawan,” Bishop Mesiona said in a CBCP News post.
Born in Alfaro, Spain on April 9, 1848, Moreno professed his vows as an Augustinian Recollect in 1865. He arrived in Manila on Feb. 10, 1870 and was ordained priest in 1871.
He began his missionary work in Calapan, Mindoro before he was sent to Puerto Princesa in 1872.
In a span of 15 years in the Philippines, St. Ezekiel took charge of the parish of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, and later became the Vicar Provincial of Mindoro. He also worked in Las Pinas (1876-1879), Sto. Tomas, Batangas (1879-1880), Intramuros (1880-1882), and Imus, Cavite (1882-1885).
St. Ezekiel was known for his great affection for the sick as he visited them and administered the sacraments. He was known to console the sick with fatherly love.
In 1885, he was called back to serve in Spain as a Rector of the College and Novitiate of Monteagudo. He also went to Columbia in 1888, where he devoted himself to missionary activity.
Moreno was named as the first Vicar Apostolic of Casanare in 1894 and was named bishop of Pasto in 1895.
In 1906, he was diagnosed with cancer and returned to Spain for treatment. He died on Aug. 19 of the same year.
Pope Paul VI beatified him in 1975 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II on Oct. 11,1992.