Filipino Community Celebrates Patron Saint

The Filipino community at St Edmund’s Church in Bury St Edmunds gathered on Sunday, September 27, to celebrate the feast of their patron, St Lorenzo Ruiz. Fr Peter Ho celebrated the Mass, which included hymns sung by community members.

The celebration included a procession of a statue of St Lorenzo Ruiz into the church. After the Mass, parishioners gathered in the crypt to eat Filipino dishes and learn about Filipino culture. This annual tradition began in 2016 at the suggestion of Fr Mark Hackeson.

St Lorenzo Ruiz was a Filipino man who joined Dominican missionaries traveling to Japan. He was martyred in Nagasaki in 1637 and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1987. He is the first Filipino saint and serves as the patron saint of overseas Filipino workers.