LORENZO RUIZ BUILDING
"Because I am a Christian, I shall die for God. And for Him, I will give many thousands of lives if I had them"
The LR building was named in honor of San Lorenzo Ruiz, the first Filipino saint, the first Filipino martyr for the Christian Catholic Faith.
San Lorenzo Ruiz is an ideal inspiration for ordinary Christians. Unlike most saints who came from religious communities, he was an ordinary family man. However, his life became extraordinary for having upheld a steadfast faith in God at the face of death.
San Lorenzo Ruiz was arrested upon landing in Japan where Christians were being persecuted. Despite undergoing brutal torture, he refused to renounce his faith. It was his torturers who finally gave up and had him hanged in the gallows on September 27, 1637. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Manila on February 18, 1981 and was canonized as saint on October 18, 1987.
His was an ordinary life, but he was willing to sacrifice it for God. His resilience symbolized how we should remain steadfast in our faith in God amidst life's difficulties, which is particularly relevant to the plight of many Filipinos today.
Abode to the health sciences is the Mere Maria Building, named in honor of Sister Louise Chollet, a pioneer in health care and founder of the largest Catholic hospital in the United States, the Santa Rosa Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, USA. And as such, she stands as a great inspiration of students in the health care program.
Born in Roanne, France, on February 7, 1846, Sister Louise Chollet entered the Monastery of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament in 1867. She was given the name of Sister Marie St. Madeleine of Jesus upon receiving the habit.
The Mere Maria Building also accommodates the clinics of the health science courses for their related learning experience. The clinics simulate operations and setting of a health center or hospital where students can apply their knowledge, skills and attitudes they have learned from their class lectures.