House of Ruiz
House Patron: St. Lorenzo Ruiz 
House Color: Red, the color of martyrs
Feast Day: September 28
House Color: Red, the color of martyrs
Feast Day: September 28
Motto: Mille Animas (“a thousand lives”)
Symbol: The Phoenix
The mythological phoenix was a creature who died to self, to let a new life rise from the ashes. This is an apt symbol of the martyr who dies to life in this world and is reborn to eternal life in the glory of God.
Crest:
The House of Ruiz wears red, the color of martyrdom. As a child, Lorenzo Ruiz attended a school run by Dominican friars. He was an altar server and a sacristan in his church in Manila. As Lorenzo matured, he retained his close ties to the Dominicans, assisting them in ministering to the people of Manila. Ruiz married and was a father to three children. In 1636, he was falsely accused of murdering a Spaniard; rather than face a trial, Ruiz escaped to Japan with three Dominican priests. Shortly after arriving in Japan, they were arrested by the anti-Christian regime. The shogunate brutally tortured Ruiz and his companions. According to witnesses, his last words were, "Had I one thousand lives, all of these I would give to God." That profession of faith inspires the house motto, Mille Animas ("a thousand lives").
The house crest shows red, blue, and white divisions, the sun crowning the chief field, and the stars connecting the rosary beads are reminiscent of the Filipino flag. The rosary illustrates that Saint Lorenzo Ruiz was a lifelong member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. The palm branches signify his martyrdom.
In 1981, Pope John Paul II traveled to the Philippines. While there, he beatified Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, making him the first person to be beatified outside of the Vatican. Ruiz was canonized in 1987.
The house crest shows red, blue, and white divisions, the sun crowning the chief field, and the stars connecting the rosary beads are reminiscent of the Filipino flag. The rosary illustrates that Saint Lorenzo Ruiz was a lifelong member of the Confraternity of the Holy Rosary. The palm branches signify his martyrdom.
In 1981, Pope John Paul II traveled to the Philippines. While there, he beatified Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, making him the first person to be beatified outside of the Vatican. Ruiz was canonized in 1987.
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz, pray for us!
A statue of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is located in the rotunda near the auditorium.
A statue of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz is located in the rotunda near the auditorium.