IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR “COUSINS” … THE NEXT FILIPINO SAINT? Alfredo Florentin Verzosa (1877 – 1954) — Bradley Rymph Bishop Alfredo Florentin Verzosa was born in now being considered in a process that, once the historic town of Vigan, Ilocos Sur, on successful, would result in his becoming the December 9, 1877. He was the second of third Filipino (and the first Filipino seven children born to Alejandro Verzosa and clergyperson) to be declared a saint by the Michaela Florentin Verzosa. His great- Roman Catholic Church. grandparents were Agapito Verzosa (1792‒ 1885) and Saturnina Bernarda (1796‒?), who Verzosa was ordained a priest in the Roman were also great-great-great-grandparents of Catholic Church on December 24, 1904, and José Verzosa Baquiran III. Bishop Verzosa is served in the Diocese of Nueva Segovia, which covered his home province of Ilocos Visits to Sites Associated with Alfredo Verzosa: Sur. As a young priest, he worked diligently to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines (with Jose Verzosa maintain loyalty of the faithful to the Roman Baquiran III): Catholic Church as it was challenged in the February 23, 2000 Philippines by a domestic offshoot October 17‒18, 2015 denomination, the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Text © 2015 by Bradley B. Rymph “IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR ANCESTORS …” HOME PAGE: http://www.bradleyrymph.com Portrait, photograph, and signature of Bishop Alfredo Verzosa Church), more commonly known as the the Filipino provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Aglipayans. In the early 20th century, many Quezon, Marinduque, and Mindoro on Luzon Filipinos (especially those with Nationalist Island. He was ordained in this position on sympathies), and including many Roman January 20, 1917. He became the first native Catholic priests, feared that the Roman Filipino bishop (and second bishop ever) of Catholic Church remained too closely allied this relatively new diocese, which had been with their previous Spanish colonizers, and created by the Roman Catholic Church in were defecting to the Aglipayans. Father 1910. Verzosa also became only the fourth Verzosa visited Catholics throughout the native Filipino bishop overall and the first of diocese to help persuade them not to defect. Ilocano heritage. In 1909, he was sent north to the province of Ilocos Norte (at the time, a stronghold region As bishop, Verzosa continued a primary of the Aglipayans) to advance the same goal. initiative of his predecessor in ensuring the success of the diocese’s new seminary, which At the age of 38, fewer than 12 years after had been established in 1914. Bishop Verzosa being ordained a priest, Verzosa was secured priests from the Society of St. appointed by Pope Benedict XV to be the Vincent de Paul to help with administration bishop of the Diocese of Lipa, which covered of the seminary. HOW WE’RE RELATED: Agapito Verzosa = Saturnina Bernarda ◄◄◄◄◄ (5/23/1792 – 9/11/1885) (? – ?) ▼ ▼ ▼ Lorenzo Verzosa = Susana Angco Mariano Verzosa = Placida Faz de Leon (11/14/1831 – 3/29/1881) (8/11/1834 – 10/11/1865) (10/8/1821 – 11/5/1889) (10/11/1829 – 6/20/1892) ▼ ▼ Crispulo Verzosa Dolores de la Pena = Alejandro Verzosa = Michaela Florentin (? – 7/20/1898) (3/22/1861 – 6/15/1908) (5/12/1851 – 5/12/1926) (? – ?) ▼ ▼ Concepcion Foz José Leon Verzosa = Alfredo Florentin Verzosa (2/20/1887 – 9/2/1948) (? – ?) (12/9/1877 – 6/27/1954) ▼ Francisco Malabad Baquiran = Luisa Foz Verzosa Bishop Alfredo Verzosa was the second (12/3/1924 – 11/7/1976) (10/11/1921 – 4/28/2016) cousin, two times removed, of José Verzosa ▼ Baquiran III. Bradley Budd Rymph = José Verzosa Baquiran III (living) (living) Bishop Verzosa also opened many Damage Commission and elsewhere to catechetical centers in his diocese and rebuild the damaged churches across his stressed their importance to the church. In diocese. This included the use of personal 1923, he helped found a religious institute, funds that he had inherited from his family. In the Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart the spot where the seminary massacre had of Jesus. occurred, he built a Carmelite Monastery. Consistent with the hard times and Within a few years after rebuilding much of destruction that faced the Philippines during the diocese’s buildings, the Vatican asked World War II, several of the bishop’s projects Bishop Verzosa to retire. As explained on the were destroyed during the war, and many website of the Missionary Catechists of the priests, nuns, and parishioners were killed in Sacred Heart, which he had helped found, the Diocese of Lipa. This included the “Though he administered the diocese well, massacre by Japanese soldiers of thousands he was accused of fiscal mismanagement.” of people in the Lipa seminary. In response, He officially retired on February 25, 1951, at Bishop Verzosa and his auxiliary bishop the age of 73, and returned to his home town evacuated the people to a barrio far-flung of Vigan. from the seminary. Bishop Verzosa died three years later on June After the war, Bishop Verzosa worked to 27, 1954. secure funds from the Philippine War Grave of Bishop Verzosa inside the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Metropolitan Cathedral, Vigan. More than a half century later, several TO LEARN MORE Roman Catholic Filipinos launched a campaign for the canonization of Bishop Catholic Bishops Conference of the Verzosa — i.e., to have him declared a saint Philippines. “Diocese Process for by the Vatican. The process, “the Cause of his Canonization Cause of Bishop Verzosa Beatification and Canonization,” formally Begins.” CBCP News. November 22, 2012. launched on January 11, 2013, and Bishop (http://www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/? Verzosa has been granted the official title p=8256) “Servant of God,” by the Vatican. In July Dullana, Raymon. “Ilocano Bishop Might Be 2015, Filipino media reported that the Next Filipino Saint.” Rappler. July 1, 2015. canonization process has been upgraded to (http://www.rappler.com/nation/98050- nihil obstat (nothing stands in the way) bishop-verzosa-ilocano-saint) status. Missionary Catechista of the Sacred Heart. “Our Founders.” (http:// mcsh.webnode.com/our-founders/). 2015-10-18 .