Ferdinand Magellan's expedition of 1521 to the islands included Catholic priests and missionaries among the crew. Some Catholic missionaries became the explorers of the native lands while converting and coercing the Indios towards Christianism. Because of the Spanish colonization which had been started by Miguel López de Legazpi, Christianity was introduced as settling within Cebu. Cebu is a well known bastion of the Roman Catholic faith.
Catholics continue to contribute to Filipino religious life to the present day. Subsequently, several Filipino Catholics have been considered for sainthood over the past centuries. Most of these saints-to-be are from the 20th Century and moving forward. Very few from the Spanish era within the Philippines found their way to the various levels of Church "sanctity."
The first Filipino canonized as saint was Lorenzo Ruiz, a married lay Dominican and member of the Rosarian Confraternity in dedication to Our Lady. Lorenzo died as a martyr of faith, during the persecutions in Nagasaki, Japan, where the Japanese rulers organized an anti-clerical campaign. Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified by Pope John Paul II in Manila in 1981 and was later canonized at St. Peter's Square, Vatican City in 1987. Twenty-five years later, the title of "saint" was bestowed upon another martyr, Pedro Calungsod. Pedro was then canonized in October 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Lorenzo Ruiz (ca. 1600–1637), Married Layperson of the Archdiocese of Manila; Member of the Confraternity of the Rosary; Martyr (Manila, Philippines - Nagasaki, Japan)
Diego Luis de San Vitores (Diego Jerónimo de San Vitores y Alonso de Maluendo) (1627-1672), Professed Priest of the Jesuits; Martyr (Burgos, Spain - Cebu, Philippines - Tumon, Guam)
Declared Venerable: November 9, 1984
Beatified: October 6, 1985, by Pope John Paul II
Eugenio Sanz-Orozco Mortera (José María of Manila) (1880-1936), Professed Priest of the Friars Minor Capuchin; Martyr (Manila, Philippines - Madrid, Spain)
Declared Venerable: March 27, 2013
Beatified: October 13, 2013, by Cardinal Angelo Amato
Iustus Takayama Ukon (Hikogorō Shigetomo) (ca. 1552–1615), Layperson of the Archdiocese of Tokyo (Nara, Japan - Manila, Philippines)
Declared Venerable: January 21, 2016
Beatified: February 7, 2017, by Cardinal Angelo Amato
Isabel Larrañaga Ramírez (Isabel of the Heart of Jesus) (1836–1899), Founder of the Sisters of Charity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Manila, Philippines - Havana, Cuba)
Joaquina Maria Mercedes Barcelo Pages (Consuelo Barcelo y Pages) (1857–1940), Cofounder of the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation (Barcelona, Spain - Manila, Philippines)
Declared Venerable: December 20, 2012
Aloysius Schwartz (1930–1992), Priest of the Archdiocese of Manila; Founder of the Sisters of Mary of Banneux and Brothers of Christ (Washington D.C., USA - Manila, Philippines)
Declared Venerable: January 22, 2015
Alfredo María Obviar (1889–1978), Bishop of Lucena; Founder of Missionary Catechists of Saint Thérèse of the Infant Jesus (Batangas - Quezon, Philippines)
Declared Venerable: November 7, 2018
María Beatriz del Rosario de Arroyo (Maria Rosario of the Visitation) (1884–1957), Founder of the Dominican Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of the Philippines (Dominican Sisters of Molo) (Iloilo, Philippines)
Teofilo Camomot (1914–1988), Coadjutor Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro; Titular Archbishop of Marcianopolis; Founder of the Daughters of Saint Teresa (Cebu, Philippines)
Pedro Pelaez (1812–1863), Priest of the Archdiocese of Manila (Laguna – Manila, Philippines)[3]
Ines Joaquina Vicenta Barcelo Pages (Rita) (1843–1904), Founder of the Augustinian Sisters of Our Lady of Consolation (Barcelona, Spain - Manila, Philippines)
María Ángeles Rodríguez de Rivera Chicote (1882–1936), Layperson of the Diocese of Málaga; Martyr (Maguindanao, Philippines – Málaga, Spain)[4]
Wilhelm Finnemann (1882–1942), Professed Priest of the Society of the Divine Word; Apostolic Vicariate of Calapan; Martyr (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany - Batangas, Philippines)
Joseph Verbis Lafleur (1912–1944), Priest of the Military Ordinate of the United States (Louisiana, USA - Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines)
Alfredo Verzosa (1877–1954), Bishop of Lipa; Founder of the Missionary Catechists of the Sacred Heart (Ilocos Sur, Philippines)
Florencia Cuesta Valluerca (Trinidad of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) (1904–1967), Professed Religious of the Carmelite Nuns of the Ancient Observance (Madrid, Spain - Manila, Philippines)
Carlo Braga (1889–1971), Professed Priest of the Salesians of Don Bosco (Sondrio, Italy - Pampanga, Philippines)
Dalisay Lazaga (1940–1971), Professed Religious of the Canossians Daughters of Charity (Laguna - Manila, Philippines)
Amador Tajanlangit Sr. (1911–1977), Married Layperson of the Archdiocese of Jaro (Iloilo, Philippines)
George J. Willmann (1897–1977), Professed Priest of the Jesuits (New York, USA - Manila, Philippines)
Niña Ruiz Abad (1979–1993), Child of the Diocese of Laoag (Quezon City, Philippines)
Richard Michael Fernando (1970–1996), Professed Cleric of the Jesuits; Martyr (Quezon City, Philippines - Angk Snuol, Cambodia)
Rhoel Gallardo (1965–2000), Professed Priest of the Claretians; Martyr (Zambales - Basilan, Philippines)
Giuseppe Aveni (1918–2010), Professed Priest of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus (Messina, Italy - Parañaque, Philippines)
Laureana Franco (1936–2011), Layperson of the Diocese of Pasig; Member of the Legion of Mary (Manila, Philippines)[5]
Darwin Ramos (1994–2012), Young Layperson of the Diocese of Cubao (Quezon City, Philippines)
Juan Nepomuceno (1892–1973) and Teresa Gomez Nepomuceno (1893–1970), Layperson of the Archdiocese of San Fernando; Members of the Secular Franciscans (Pampanga, Philippines)[9]
Natividad Zialcita (Mary Cecilia of Jesus) (1908–1982), Professed Religious of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns (Manila - Batangas, Philippines)
Roderick Flores (1969–1984), Young Layperson of the Archdiocese of Manila (Manila, Philippines)[10]
Rosaleo (Rudy) Romano (1940–1985), Professed Priest of the Redemptorists; Martyr (Manila - Cebu, Philippines)[11][12]
Ezequiel Barangan (1916–1987), Layperson of the Archdiocese of Cebu; Founder of the Servants of Our Lady of Peace (Cebu, Philippines)[13]
Victorina Vicente (Mary Therese of the Holy Face) (1921–1995), Founder of the Sisters of the Holy Face of Jesus and the Adoration Sisters of the Holy Face of Jesus (Manila, Philippines)
Justin Daniel Bataclan (1986–2007), Seminarian of the Society of Saint Paul (Paulines); Martyr (Cubao, Philippines)[14]
James Reuter (1916–2012), Professed Priest of the Jesuits (New Jersey, USA - Manila, Philippines)
Teresita Castillo y Lat (1927–2016), Layperson of the Archdiocese of Lipa; Supposed Marian visionary (Batangas - Manila, Philippines)
Leticia Tordesillas Albert (1927–2019), Layperson of the Diocese of Bacolod; Founder of the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross (Negros Occidental, Philippines)[17]
This sections conclude the list of martyrs pending for the Cause for Sainthood. Majority of them are underway for canonization proposed by the CCS.
Jesuit Martyrs in Micronesia, Jesuit and lay missionaries in Guam and the Federated States of Micronesia who died for the Christian faith and mission. Companion martyrs of Pedro Calungsod and Diego Luis de San Vitores.
De La Salle Martyrs of 1945, The Companion Martyrs of William Kelley (Egbert Xavier). All Professed Religious' of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Brothers)
John Concoran (Flavius Leo)
Born: June 13, 1876 – Castlecomer, Kilkenny, Ireland
Wilhelm Hengelbrock (Mutwald William)
Born: November 10, 1907 – Osnabruck, Germany
Alois Seipel (Paternus Paul)
Born: March 21, 1908 – Marborn, Steinau an der Strasse, Main-Kinzig, Germany
Wilhelm Spieker (Arkadius Maria)
Born: November 10, 1910 – Kassel, Germany
Joseph Hastreiter (Gerfreid Joseph)
Born: August 23, 1912 – Furth im Wald, Cham, Germany
Lorenz Kreitner (Hartmann Hubert)
Born: October 23, 1912 – Mannheim, Germany
Johann Nepomuk Meier (Maximin Maria)
Born: September 30, 1913 – Frommersbach, Zerf, Trier-Saarburg, Germany
Hermann Joseph Gelb (Berthwin Philibert)
Born: October 13, 1913 – Hockenheim, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Germany
Helmut Jakob Wegner (Romuald Suxtus)
Born: August 29, 1914 – Ludwigshafen, Germany
Gyula Miklos (De La Salle Janos Baptista)
Born: 1918 – Budapest, Hungary
Johannes Kuntz (Freidebert Johannes)
Born: July 15, 1915 – Rheinfelden, Lorrach, Germany
Ernst Kammerling (Lambert Romanus)
Born: April 28, 1917 – Erkelenz, Heinsburg, Germany
Alfons Bender (Adolf Gebhard)
Born: May 12, 1914 – Herdorf, Altenkirchen, Germany
Joseph Biely (Alemond Lucian)
Born: 1917 – Slovak Republic
Konrad Wehle (Viktorinus Heinrich)
Born: November 21, 1914 – Grunmettstetten, Freudenstadt, Germany
Died: February 12, 1945 – Malate, Manila, Philippines
Religious Martyrs of Santo Tomas, professed religious' of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit, martyred on March 15, 1945.
Anna Unterscher (Adelheida)
Born: July 27, 1898 – Höhenmoos, Rohrdorf, Rosenheim, Germany
Margareta Nieder (Aloysius)
Born: March 16, 1903 – Illingen, Neurkirchen, Germany
Agnes Hoffman (Ansberta)
Born: December 7, 1903 – Answeiler, Marpingen, Sankt Wendel, Germany
Paula Diancourt (Benedicta)
Born: October 6, 1899 – Dortmund, Erzdiözese Paderborn, Germany [18]
Maria Weisert (Bernia)
Born: April 8, 1907 – Sigmaringen, Germany
Palmaria Molina (Celia)
Born: December 2, 1908 – Tayum, Abra, Philippines
Petronilla Arjonilla Coral (Cesaria)
Born: April 29, 1907 – Mérida, Yucátan, Mexico
Maria Klara Schnettler (Cleophana)
Born: July 14, 1898 – Hagen, Germany
Sophie Hörth (Franciscetta)
Born: July 15, 1903 – Neusatz, Bühl, Germany
Maria Piebler (Gumberta)
Born: August 30, 1911 – Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Austria
Elisabet Faulstich (Isburga)
Born: September 20, 1908 – Cologne, Germany
Elisabeth Maria Anna Hartelt (Passima)
Born: July 15, 1903 – Niesse, Opole, Poland
Elisabeth Schofs (Placida)
Born: July 15, 1884 – Tönisvorst, Viersen, Germany
Margarete Mzyk (Richarde)
Born: April 3, 1910 – Königshütte, Poland
Bernardina Jurcovic (Victimaria)
Born: October 25, 1913 – Vištuk, Pezinok, Slovakia
Died: March 15, 1945 – Santo Tomas, Batangas, Philippines
Vincentian Martyrs of the Philippines, priests and religious' of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians)
Alfonso Sandaña Díez, priest
Born: January 6, 1884 – Tardajos, Burgos, Spain
Died: September 20, 1942 – Mantalongon, Dalaguete, Cebu, Philippines
Aniano González Moreno, priest
Born: April 25, 1890 – Isar, Burgos, Spain
Died: October 21, 1944 – Baguio, Philippines
Prisciano González Moreno, priest
Born: October 12, 1885 – Isar, Burgos, Spain
Crispín Gómez Vallejo, priest
Born: December 4, 1895 – Hontauas, Burgos, Spain
Rafael Martínez Rojo, brother
Born: October 24, 1876 – Ferrero, León, Spain
Gumersindo Novero, seminarian
Born: Unknown in Cavite, Philippines
Died: February 8, 1945 – Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines
José Tejada Merino, priest
Born: March 18, 1892 – Covarrubias, Burgos, Spain
Luis Ejeda Martínez, priest
Born: August 18, 1881 – Albarracin, Teruel, Spain
Adolfo Soto de Celis, priest
Born: March 17, 1884 – Rebolledo, Burgos, Spain
Julio Ruiz Sánchez, priest
Born: May 22, 1890 – Villodrigo, Palencia, Spain
José Fernández Fernández, priest
Born: October 24, 1891 – Madrid, Spain
José Aguirreche Aguirre, priest
Born: August 27, 1891 – Régil, Guipúzcoa, Spain
Antolín Marcos Pardo, brother
Born: September 1, 1879 – Pedrosa de Río Úrbel, Burgos, Spain
Valentín Santidrián Bermejo, brother
Born: February 12, 1901 – Villadiego, Burgos, Spain
