The University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) will be observing the feast day of St. Ezekiel Moreno, the patron saint for cancer patients, on Sunday, August 19.

St. Ezekiel Moreno is also the patron for the Order of Augustinian Recollects in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Sierra Leone.

The “11th Walk for Healing” will commence that morning, from the Capitol Park and Lagoon to the UNO-R gymnasium; which will immediately be followed by a thanksgiving mass, celebrated by Rev. Fr. Farley Santillan.

Other venues will also be holding observances, including Bishop Emeritus Vicente Navarra celebrating an 8:30 a.m. mass at the Recoletos Social Outreach Center-Handumanan.

Meanwhile, the Parish of San Nicholas de Tolentino and the Colegio de San Nicholas de Tolentino in Talisay City will be holding mass on Monday, August 20. In addition, Colegio Santo Tomas de Recoletos in San Carlos City will also be celebrating the feast day.

St. Ezekiel Moreno was the first Augustinian Recollect missionary assigned to the Philippines. He was ordained as a deacon in Jaro, Iloilo in 1870; and entered the priesthood the following year.

In 1905, he was diagnosed with cancer and died on August 19, 1906.

He was beatified by Pope Paul VI on November 1, 1975 and canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1992./WDJ