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| University of Santo Tomas' Martyrs' Monument -- UST Quadri |
These four martyrs of the Religious Persecution in Spain sailed to the Philippines as young Dominican missionaries assigned to the Holy Rosary Province. They stayed for sometime in the convent of Santo Domingo in Intramuros while taking up theological studies in the University of Santo Tomás. They were ordained as priests in Santo Domingo Church, and after several assignments both in and out of the Philippines, they went back to Spain and were assigned to the Holy Rosary Convent in Madrid. After their convent was attacked by the Republicans, they went into hiding until they were found and arrested by the milicianos who tortured and eventually executed them.
Bell 2: Beato Jesus Villaverde Andrés, O.P.
Jesus Villaverde Andres was born in San Miguel de Dueñas, León, Spain, on December 4, 1877. In 1894, he entered the Dominican Order and was ordained to the priesthood on June 26, 1903. He was sent to the Philippines, and around the years 1905-1910, he taught at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. In 1916, he taught in the University of Santo Tomas where he held a professorial chair in theology after obtaining his Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the UST Faculty of Sacred Theology in 1919. He became professor of dogmatic theology and canon law in the same faculty. He held several positions of responsibility in UST. He was Secretary General from 1919–1921 and Treasurer from 1929-1932. He served as Dean of the UST Faculty of Sacred Theology from 1932-1934. Blessed Jesús Villaverde Andrés was able to see UST in its present location, having resided at the present Priory of St. Thomas Aquinas. For sure, Fr. Villaverde occupied one of the rooms in the UST Fathers’ Residence. Villaverde went back to Spain to serve as prior of the Santo Tomás Convent in Avila and later on was assigned to Madrid. While in Madrid, his convent was attacked by the communists on July 1936. Fr. Villaverde had to hide in his mother’s house in Cuesta de los Descargos. Later on, his brother, Carlos, a military man, took custody of him for three months. On October 15, he was arrested by the milicianos. Carlos’ children tried to save Fr. Villaverde by telling the arresting officers that there was no priest in their house, but Fr. Villaverde voluntarily showed up and handled himself over to the arresting officers. He was brought to the place of torture and later on executed.
Bell 3: San Pedro Almato, O.P.
Pedro Almato was born in Barcelona, Spain on All Saints' Day, 1830. He went to Manila, studied in the University of Santo Tomás, and was ordained in 1853. Learning of the persecutions in Vietnam, he obtained permission from his superiors to go on mission in the said country. In October 1861, after several years of missionary work, Almato was captured and was beheaded on his birthday.
Bell 4: San Jeronimo Hermosilla, O.P.
After his profession as a Dominican, he was sent to Manila, where he was ordained in 1828. In 1829, he was appointed to the mission at East Tonkin. On April 25, 1841, he was ordained a bishop and served as Vicar Apostolic of East Tonkin which marked him for persecution. He zealously served his flock for 20 years. He was tortured and beheaded in 1861 in Hai Duong, Vietnam.
Bell 5: Sto. Domingo Henares, O.P.
The 30 year-old Dominican, Córdoba-born Domingo Henares arrived in Manila on July 9, 1796. He completed his studies in the University of Santo Tomás and there, became professor of Humanities. He went to Vietnam in 1790 where eventually he became bishop. His knowledge of medicine, astronomy, and the sciences was greatly appreciated by the Vietnamese. However, his Christian faith made him subject to persecution. On June 9, 1838, he was arrested and a month later, on July 25, 1838, he was beheaded.
Bell 6: San Guillaume Courtet, O.P.
Guillaume is a French Dominican of noble origins was born in 1590. He joined the Order at the age of 17. He became prior of the Community in Avignon, France. His childhood dream to be a missionary was fulfilled when he set sail for the Philippines in 1634. He became professor of Theology at the University of Santo Tomás. Because of his holiness and zeal for the Gospel, in 1636 he was sent to be a missionary in Japan. A year later, he was arrested. In his trial, he affirmed that only Christian truth will save mankind. For this, he was condemned to death. He died in September 1637 through the “gallows and hole” torture.
Bell 7: Santo Domingo Ibañez de Erquicia, O.P.
Born in February, 1589 in Regil, Guipuzcoa, Spain, Domingo de Erquicia entered the Dominican Priory of San Thelmo at the age of 16. Realizing the need for missionaries in the East Asia, he joined the Dominicans who went to the Philippines and arrived in Manila in the year 1611 and became professor of Theology at the University of Santo Tomás. Ten years later, he was sent to Japan. Constantly faced with danger, he spent his decade of mission in Japan faithfully preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments, until he was finally caught by the Japanese authorities and killed through the “gallows and hole” torture. After thirty hours of continuous torture, he finally expired on August 14, 1633.
Bell 8: San Lorenzo Ruiz (First Filipino Martyr)
Lorenzo Ruiz was born in Binondo, Manila, of a Chinese father and a Tagalog mother. His father taught him Chinese while his mother taught him Tagalog. Both of his parents were Roman Catholics. Ruiz served as an altar boy at the convent of Binondo church. After being educated by the Dominican friars for a few years, Ruiz earned the title of escribano (calligrapher) because of his skillful penmanship. He became a member of the Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary. He married and had two sons and a daughter with Rosario, a native. Life for them was generally peaceful, religious and full of contentment. In 1636, while working as a clerk at the Binondo Church, Ruiz was falsely accused of killing a Spaniard. Due to the allegation, Ruiz sought asylum on board a ship with Dominican missionaries to Japan. The Tokugawa shogunate was persecuting Christians by the time Ruiz had arrived in Japan. The missionaries were arrested and thrown into prison. After two years, they were transferred to Nagasaki to face trial. On September 27, 1637, Ruiz and his companions were taken to the Nishizaka Hill, where they were tortured by being hung upside down a pit. Ruiz refused to renounce Christianity and died from blood loss and suffocation.
Bell 11: San Antonio González, O.P.
Born in León, Spain, he entered the Dominican Order at the age of 16. His favorite saint was St. Peter of Verona, the Dominican proto martyr, thus his religious enthusiasm gave rise to his living desire for martyrdom. When an invitation was sent to their convent asking for volunteer missionaries for the Far East, González was among those who eagerly volunteered. His intended destination was Japan, but he had to prepare for this mission in the Philippines. He arrived in Manila in May 1632. He became professor and acting rector of the University of Santo Tomas. In 1636, he was finally able to fulfill his dream of going to Japan. After a year, he was arrested while proudly wearing his habit. After tremendous torture, he was found dead in his cell at the dawn of September 24, 1637.
Bell 12: San Lucas del Espiritu Santo, O.P.
Born in Zamora, Spain on October 18, 1594, he entered the Dominican Order at the age of 16. In the year 1617, he answered the missionary calling to evangelize in the Far East. He became Lecturer of Arts at the University of Santo Tomás. Later on he was sent to Japan and arrived there in June 1623. For ten years, he engaged in underground apostolate. On September 8, 1633, he was arrested in Osaka, and a month later, on October 18, he was subjected through the “gallows and hole” torture. He died on the following day.
Bell 13: Santo Tomás Hioji Rokuzayemon Nishi de San Jacinto, O.P.
Born of Christian Japanese parents in 1590, in Kyūshū, Japan, he witnessed how his parents were martyred for their Christian faith. He went to the Philippines and sought admission to the Dominican Order. He studied philosophy at the University of Santo Tomás. He went back to Japan on November 10, 1629. Being Japanese, Thomas was able to move about with some freedom. While doing his missionary endeavors, he chronicled the martyrdom of his fellow Dominicans. The Japanese authorities eventually arrested him. He was subjected to the “gallows and hole” torture and died on November 15, 1634.
Bell 14: San Jose Maria Diaz Sanjurjo, O.P.
José María Díaz Sanjurjo was born in Lugo, Spain on August 25, 1818. He secretly enterd the Dominican Priory in Ocaña, and in 1842, he received the Dominican habit. He was a famous Latin scholar, theologian, and legal expert. He arrived in Manila on September 14, 1844. He completed his studies while teaching at the University of Santo Tomás. After a year, he left for the Vietnamese missions. On April 8, 1849, he was ordained a Bishop. On August 26, 1852, he became Vicar Apostolic of Central Tonkin, Vietnam. In 1856, he was arrested and was beheaded on July 20, 1857.
Bell 15: San Vicente Liem de la Paz, O.P.
Vicente Liem de la Paz was born in 1731. A native Vietnamese, this brilliant student was sent to the Philippines to study at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. In 1753, he entered the Dominicans, studied in the University of Santo Tomás, and was ordained a priest. After his petition to serve his people was approved, he went back to Vietnam as a missionary, working under Fr. Jacinto Castaneda, until he was arrested, tortured, and beheaded on November 7, 1773.
Bell 16: Beato Buenaventura Garcia Paredes, O.P.
Buenaventura Paredes was the 78th successor of St. Dominic as Master of the Order of Preachers. Born on April 19, 1866, Buenaventura eventually decided to enter the Order of Preachers and received the Dominican habit on August 30, 1833. True to the Dominican tradition of scholarship, he studied Theology, Civil Law, and Philosophy and Letters prior to his ordination to the priesthood on July 25, 1891. He was sent to Manila, obtained the degree of lector in theology, and taught in the University of Santo Tomas. Fr. Paredes was a professor of political and administrative law at the UST Faculty of Civil Law which was then in Intramuros. He was also director of the UST published Catholic newspaper “Libertas”. In 1910, he was elected as the Prior Provincial of the Holy Rosary Province, a position he held for seven years. During his term as Provincial, he became among those responsible for the procurement of a land in Sulucan on which the present UST Campus stands. After his term ended, he went back to Spain to serve as the superior of a Dominican convent in Madrid. In 1926, Paredes was elected by the General Chapter as Master General of the Order. Due to some serious problems in the Order which weakened his health, Paredes resigned his office in 1929. He then retired to the convent in Ocaña. When the civil war broke out in July 1936, Paredes was in Madrid. On August 11, he was arrested by armed men, and he bravely declared himself a priest and a religious. He was taken to a place of torture, and in the morning of the following day, he was shot in Valdesenderín del Encinar. His rosary and his breviary was found near his cadaver.
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