Laoag diocese starts sainthood bid for teen girl

MANILA, Philippines — The Diocese of Laoag in Ilocos Norte will launch a sainthood cause for 13-year-old Niña Ruiz-Abad, who is remembered for showing deep faith in God and acts of charity.

CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), reported that during the recent 126th plenary assembly, Laoag Bishop Renato Mayugba presented to his fellow prelates a request to open the sainthood cause for Abad.

If Abad becomes a saint, she will be among the youngest saints in history.

Abad died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on Aug.16, 1993 at the age of 13. She had been suffering from the disease since she was 10 years old.

While her life was short-lived, CBCPNews said the girl left a major impact on people, whose lives were touched by her faith in God and acts of charity.

Abad had a strong devotion to the Eucharist and devoted her life to distributing rosaries, Bibles, prayer books, holy images and other religious items.

She was also known for always wearing a rosary around her neck and white dresses.

Mayugba said that even at a very young age, Abad showed behavior and acts that were unusual for her age.

“During her time, it is unusual that a young girl had done acts to evangelize others.

“Niña’s life was full of prayers, reverence, worship and intimate relationship with God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” he added.

With the bishops’ approval, the diocese opened a formal investigation into Abad’s life and witnessing, which may take years before a possible decision from Rome regarding her potential beatification and canonization comes out.

The initial stages include gathering information about the candidate and interviewing witnesses who knew the person.

Both of Abad’s parents were lawyers from Sarrat, Ilocos Norte. She was born and grew up in Quezon City along with her only sibling, Mary Anne.

Her father died when she was just three years old.

In April 1988, her family moved to Sarrat, where her mother became chief hearing officer of the Commission on the Settlement of Land Problems, a body under the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Abad finished elementary at the top of her class. She spent her first year in high school at the Mariano Marcos State University Laboratory School.

A change in her mother’s work assignment compelled her to transfer to the Holy Spirit College in Quezon City on her second year in high school in June 1993.

On Aug. 16 of the same year, she suffered a heart attack in the school and was rushed to a hospital where she died.

Abad’s remains were brought to her hometown in Ilocos Norte, where she was buried in a public cemetery.

The sainthood process normally starts in a diocese where a candidate died. In the case of Abad, it is the Diocese of Novaliches.

But Mayugba obtained the approval of Novaliches Bishop Roberto Gaa to transfer the “forum of competence” to the Laoag diocese, which was also approved by the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

Mayugba said the girl could serve as “a model of piety and fortitude” for the youth today.

“Knowing Niña’s character and traits and her strong faith in God will serve as a guide to the youth in handling their affairs toward a better Christian life,” Mayuga said.

More than three decades after her death, Abad is still remembered by those who were with and knew her.

“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,’” Mayugba said.