Niña Ruiz-Abad, a young girl from the northern Philippines, is set to embark on a remarkable journey towards potential sainthood, becoming one of the youngest saints in history.
According to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Niña’s life was cut short at the age of 13 due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an incurable heart disease she battled since the age of 10. Despite her brief existence, Niña’s profound faith in God and acts of charity left a lasting impact on those she touched.
Known for her unwavering devotion to the Eucharist, Niña dedicated her life to distributing rosaries, Bibles, prayer books, and religious items. Her distinctive habit of wearing a rosary around her neck and white dresses set her apart.
Bishop Renato Mayugba of Laoag recounted how Niña displayed remarkable behaviors and acts uncommon for her age, evangelizing others and leading a life of deep reverence and worship.
“During her time, it is unusual that a young girl had already done acts to evangelize others,” Mayugba said.
“Niña’s life was a prayerful life full of reverence, worship and intimate relationship with God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” he added.
At the recent plenary assembly of the episcopal conference in the Diocese of Kalibo, Mayugba sought approval from the bishops to open the sainthood cause of Niña. This process usually begins five years after a person’s death. With the bishops’ consent, a formal investigation of Niña’s life and witnesses’ accounts will commence, potentially leading to beatification and canonization decisions in Rome.
Niña’s journey began in the Diocese of Novaliches, but Mayugba obtained approval to transfer the “forum of competence” to the Laoag diocese, where she was laid to rest.
More than three decades after her passing, Niña’s memory lives on, remembered as a girl of strong faith and devotion, a true inspiration for today’s youth, guiding them towards a better Christian life.
