Nueva Segovia Archbishop Emeritus Ernesto Salgado has called on the faithful to pray for the swift advancement of the sainthood cause of Bishop Alfredo Verzosa, whose 72nd death anniversary was commemorated last week in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.
During the commemorative Mass at the historic Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle Metropolitan Cathedral, Salgado said Verzosa’s life was marked by unwavering obedience to God’s will, a virtue he said reflected the way Jesus Christ faithfully accepted his own suffering and death.
Born in Vigan in 1877, Verzosa became the first priest ordained for the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia in 1904, following the end of Spanish colonial rule.
He was widely remembered for defending the Roman Catholic Church in the Ilocos region at a time when fellow Vigan native Isabelo de los Reyes and prominent Ilocano priest Gregorio Aglipay broke away to establish an independent church.
Historical accounts showed that while Verzosa was preaching in Ilocos Norte, an angry dissenter struck him in the chest with a heavy stone. He also narrowly escaped injury in Bantay when a schismatic hurled a sharp spear at him during a barrio mission.
In 1916, the Vatican appointed Verzosa as Bishop of Lipa, then a vast diocese covering Batangas, Laguna, Tayabas, Mindoro, and Marinduque. He served the diocese for 33 years.
Verzosa also founded the Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart in 1923, the first religious congregation for women established by a Filipino diocesan bishop.
His ministry was marked by hardship, which he endured with steadfast faith and perseverance.