Who Is Nina Ruiz-Abad, the Filipino Being Considered for Sainthood?

When speaking of Filipino saints, only two names usually come to mind—St. Lorenzo Ruiz and St. Pedro Calungsod, the only saints the Philippines has ever produced. They were canonized in 1987 and 2012, respectively. The fact that we only have two despite the weight that Catholicism holds in Filipino life and culture is a testament to the degree of virtue and piety required for sainthood. They don’t just hand out such titles to anyone with a heart of gold. 

Turns out, a diocese in Laoag, Ilocos Norte is embarking on the lengthy process of making a Filipino teenage girl one of the youngest saints in history. Niña Ruiz-Abad lost her life to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an incurable heart disease, at 13 years old. She was diagnosed at the age of 10.

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A Life Full of Reverence

While her life was short-lived, those who were around her were deeply impacted by the depth of faith she held. “If one asks, ‘Do you know Niña Ruiz Abad?’ The answer would be, ‘That’s the girl who always wore a rosary. The girl who loved to pray. The girl who loves God so much,'” said Laoag Bishop Renato Mayugba.

According to stories, the young girl showed sanctimonious acts that were unusual for people of her age. While her peers were probably busy doing quintessential teenage things, she devoted her time to distributing rosaries, Bibles, prayer books, holy images, and other religious items.

Abad was born to a lawyer couple from Sarrat, a town in the northern province of Ilocos Norte. However, because of her parents’ jobs, she was born in Quezon City, along with her only sibling, Mary-Anne. Their father, unfortunately, passed when Abad was only three years old.

In April 1988, when her mother became the chief hearing officer of the Commission on the Settlement of Land Problems of the Department of Justice in Sarat, the family moved back to their parents’ hometown. There, she proceeded to graduate from elementary school at the top of her class. 

Abad started her first year of high school at the Mariano Marcos State University Laboratory School but had to transfer during her second year to School of the Holy Spirit in Quezon City in June 1993, once again due to her mother’s work. It was this same year when she suffered a heart attack at school. She was immediately rushed to the hospital but tragically didn’t make it. Her remains were then brought to Sarrat, where she was peacefully laid to rest at a public cemetery.

This begs the question, how does one become a saint in the Catholic Church?

The Path to Sainthood

As per Vatican rules, five years must first pass after the person’s death before the process can start. This is to allow emotions to mellow down, and ensure that their case can be evaluated objectively. In an era much less regulated, the process was much faster. Saint Peter Martyr, for instance, was canonized in March 1253, just 337 days after his death. Today, this waiting period can only be waived by the Pope. 

Once the five years was up, the bishop of the diocese where the person died can open an investigation into the candidate’s life. In the case of Abad, it was the Diocese of Novaliches. However, Mayugba manage to obtain approval for the transfer of the “forum of competence” to the Laoag diocese, which was also approved by the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

Perhaps the most important stages of the process come after this when evidence for the holiness of the life the candidate once lived is scrutinized by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Once the Congregation gives its approval, the case is passed on to the Pope. If the Pope decides that the candidate lives a life of heroic virtue, they are given the title “venerable” and begin the course to beatification. 

There are currently only three beatified people in the Philippines: Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores, Blessed Jose Maria de Manila, and Blessed Justo Takayama Ukon. To get to this stage, a miracle attributed to prayers made to the individual after their death needs to be verified. This means miraculously healing diseases (like Saint John Paul II), carrying your own decapitated head (like Saint Denis), or something like turning water into wine. You get the gist. 

Only then can one be canonized as a saint. Abad still has a long way to go, but the Laoag diocese wholly believes that the young girl can serve as “a good model of piety and fortitude” to the new generation. “Knowing Niña’s character and traits and her strong faith in God will serve as a guide to the youth in handling their affairs towards a better Christian life,” said Mayugba.