Senator Cynthia A. Villar and Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar commemorated the 115th Death Anniversary on August 19 of San Ezekiel Moreno through a mass held at the San Ezekiel Moreno Oratory inside Villar SIPAG compound on C-5 Road in Las Pinas City.
The mass, aired on Zoom and Facebook, was sponsored by the Villar SIPAG, which also built in 2014 the Spanish Baroque-inspired Oratory inside its compound.
The bone relics of San Ezekiel are preserved inside this church.
Sen. Villar and Rep. Villar have committed to hold a mass annually in recognition of San Ezekiel’s services to Las Piñas where he served as its parish priest for three years, from 1876-1879.
The Villars cited San Ezekiel for the construction in 1882 of Molino Dam, which has been benefitting residents of Las Piñas and the nearby Bacoor in Cavite as it provides irrigation to farms in these places.
“That is one of the historic events in our city, and forever, a century, farmers are using it for their irrigation and residents for their households,” noted Sen. Villar.
She committed that they will observe every year,l important milestones in the life of San Ezekiel, patron saint of cancer patients, as a tribute and thanksgiving to him.
She said the San Ezekiel Moreno Oratory is a tribute to him by the Villar family and the people of Las Piñas.
“We should always feel proud and blessed that San Ezekiel Moreno was once a priest here and lived among our ancestors and even saved them from droughts and fire.”
“Let us just pray that he will also protect us against Covid-19 pandemic,” added Sen. Villar. Macon Ramos-Araneta
In response, Ramon Moreno y Sebastian, the great grandnephew of San Ezekiel, extended his appreciation to former Sen. Manny Villar and Sen. Cynthia Villar and their family for preserving and continuing San Ezekiel Moreno’s legacy not just in Las Piñas but in many other places in the Philippines.
He pointed out that there is a clear co-relation between San Ezekiel and the Villar family — these are the virtues of “Sipag and Tiyaga.”
In his opening words during the celebration of the mass, Msgr. Roberto “Bobby” Olaguer, said we should all emulate the services rendered by San Ezekiel for the poor and the sick.
Msgr. Olaguer said San Ezekiel, then a monsignor, died of palate cancer on August 19, which he noted as “his death on earth, but also his feast day because it is his birthday in Heaven.”
“On this day, August 19, we are also celebrating the birthday of the late Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon, named as “Ama ng Wikang Pilipino,” so August is also being observed as Buwan ng Wikang Pilipino,” he said.
Msgr. Olaguer related that in Heaven, there are some speaking Pilipino or Tagalog- San Lorenzo Ruiz who is from San Binondo, Manila and San Pedro Calungsod from Cebu.
“There is still another saint speaking Pilipino or Tagalog in Heaven. While he is not a Filipino, but a Spaniard, one Ezekiel Moreno knew Tagalog. So the language in Heaven of the Holy is Tagalog, Pilipino,” related Msgr. Olaguer in his Homily.
Msgr. Olaguer said San Ezekiel knew how to speak Tagalog having been spent most of his life the Philippines. He was only 22 years old when he went to the Philippines after joining the Spanish Agustinos Recolectos when he was 16. He continued his studies in Intramuros, Manila and Jaro, Iloilo.
He then served as a priest in different parts of rhe country, first in Mindoro and then Palawan until he was transferred to Las Pinas in 1876.