OCTOBER LAST year, the name San Pedro Calungsod got our attention after being canonized by the Vatican, making him the second Filipino saint after San Lorenzo Ruiz. Now, another Filipino martyr is venturing his path to sainthood.
Manila-born Franciscan Blessed Jose Maria de Manila or commonly known as Eugenio Sanz-Orozco Mortera was born on Sept. 5, 1880 in Manila when the Philippines was still under the Spanish reign. He was the son of Don Eugenio Sanz-Orozco, the last Spanish mayor of Manila, and Doña Feliza Mortera y Camacho.
During the Liberation of Manila 1945, his baptismal certificate was burned but according to his school records in University of Santo Tomas (UST) he was “natural de Manila”.
The 55-year-old martyr spent his early years studying at Ateneo de Manila, San Juan de Letran and later in UST. Getting “Excellent” in his grades, Jose Maria shows high intellectual capacity.
At the age of 16, he decided to move to Spain to pursue his studies and become a Capuchin Priest and it was Nov. 30, 1910 when he was finally ordained. Jose Maria “remained a Filipino at heart” throughout his years in Spain for his desire to serve the local Church and return to the Philippines. Circumstances prevented him from doing so, yet he still proclaimed the Gospel in Spain.
Due to the growing hatred of the government and the Church, priests and the religious people were imprisoned, including Fr. Jose Maria. He received the palm of martrydom on 17 Aug. 1936, during his execution at the gardens of the Cuartel de la Montaña, a military building in Madrid.
Pope Francis beatified Jose Maria de Manila last Oct. 13 in Tarragona, Spain. A miracle attributed through Blessed Jose’s intercession must be recognized by the Church before he can be proclaimed as saint. The Philippines, known as the only catholic country in Asia, currently has two saints who are recognized by the Vatican – San Lorenzo Ruiz and San Pedro Calungsod.
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