Philippine Catholics Deepen Devotion to St. Ezekiel Moreno as Patron of Cancer Patients

The Catholic Church in the Philippines is deepening devotion to St. Ezekiel Moreno, seeking to offer hope and spiritual accompaniment to cancer patients and their families.

According to CBCP News, the Augustinian Recollects are promoting the saint’s devotion through pilgrimages to his relics, parish celebrations and pastoral care for the sick.

Fr. Bernard Amparado, prior provincial of the Augustinian Recollects’ Province of St. Ezekiel Moreno, said the devotion should extend beyond private prayer.

“We are actively ensuring that this devotion serves as an instrument of hope and healing for cancer patients,” Fr. Amparado told Radyo Veritas, according to CBCP News. He said pastoral care, the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and veneration of the saint’s relics can form part of this ministry.

The initiative comes as cancer continues to affect thousands of Filipino families, with about 150,000 new cases reported annually in the Philippines.

Archbishop Charles Brown, apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, offered Mass on August 19 at the St. Ezekiel Moreno Novitiate House in Antipolo City, Rizal, marking the 120th anniversary of the saint’s death.

According to CBCP News, Archbishop Brown offered the Mass for the sick, particularly those battling cancer, and reflected on how suffering shaped St. Ezekiel’s faith.

“Those sufferings didn’t separate him from Jesus. They actually made him realize that Jesus was close to him,” Archbishop Brown said in his homily.

St. Ezekiel, a Spanish Augustinian Recollect, arrived in the Philippines in 1870 and was ordained a priest in Manila the following year. He served as a missionary in Manila, Palawan and Mindoro before continuing his ministry in Colombia and later becoming a bishop in Spain.

He died of cancer on August 19, 1906, at age 58. His experience of illness and suffering became an important part of his spiritual witness.

Pope John Paul II canonized St. Ezekiel in 1992, and the Catholic Church recognizes him as the patron saint of cancer patients.

The devotion has continued to grow in the Philippines, with parishes honoring the saint, welcoming his relics and developing pastoral initiatives for the sick.

In 2024, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines elevated his liturgical celebration from an optional to an obligatory memorial nationwide.

For Filipino Catholics, devotion to St. Ezekiel Moreno offers a way to accompany those facing cancer with prayer, compassion and hope, while reminding the sick that suffering need not be faced alone.