The diocesan phase of the process for the beatification of Niña Ruiz-Aba officially opens this April 7, Divine Mercy Sunday, at the Cathedral of Saint William of Laoag, in the Philippines. Little is still known about this young girl who died in the odor of holiness after a heart attack on August 16, 1993, at the age of 13. The teenager left behind a testimony of fervent faith.
October 31, 1979. On this eve of the solemnity of All Saints’ Day , not far from Manila, a little girl was born in Quezon City, in the far north of the Philippines. Her name is Niña Ruiz-Aba. Daughter of a couple of lawyers, Niña was baptized on March 15, 1980, in the Saint-Dominique church. Niña grew up surrounded by her parents alongside her sister Mary Anne, until the tragic day of their father’s death. She is only 3 years old. Niña takes from her mother a fervent faith and frequents Divine Mercy with her . Her love for the Eucharist radiated from a very young age, when, completely devoted to prayer, she distributed rosaries, Bibles, prayer books and pious images in her neighborhood and at school.
Public domain / collage Canva Aleteia
Her unshakeable faith caused a devoted intimacy with her Lord to grow within her, while the effects of a heart disease were gradually felt. Niña was only 10 years old when doctors diagnosed her with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which is characterized by excessive thickening of the left ventricle, sometimes asymptomatic. For three years, the little Servant of God faced illness with unshakeable joy and faith which drew their strength from the intimate relationship she maintained with the Most Holy Trinity and the Virgin Mary . On August 16, 1993, a cardiac arrest led to her emergency transfer from school to the hospital where she died the same day. Buried in a public cemetery in Sarrat, Niña left behind her the testimony of an ardent and simple faith and an ardent love for the good God, so much so that very quickly, her tomb became a true place of pilgrimage where the faithful follow one another tirelessly.
On Saturday March 16, the Holy See granted “ nihil obstat ” for the opening of his beatification process. The diocesan phase of the cause of beatification will officially open on April 7, Divine Mercy Sunday, in the Saint-Guillaume de Laoag Cathedral. “Today, the Philippine Bishops’ Conference said, according to Fides, children and young people are inspired by the life of Niña Ruiz-Abad to live a life anchored in prayer. His story continues to touch the hearts of many people. Niña was an example of how, with God, one can overcome obstacles.”
