A Love Story in the Missions: The Story of Fr. Lucio Urroz, OP*

In July 2020, Fr. Zenki Manabat of the Prelature of Batanes visited the local cemetery in Basco, Batanes, and prayed before the tombs of the Dominican missionaries. One tomb caught his attention, which he hoped to restore. He also wished to learn more about a certain Fr. Lucio Urroz, OP. He requested my assistance, and here is some information we have discovered about him.

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REV. FR. LUCIO URROZ y MARTÍN, OP (1862-1940)
UN GRAN MISIONERO DOMINICANO DE ISABELA Y DE LAS BATANES

Rev. Fr. Lucio Urroz y Martín, OP, was a native of Navarra, Spain. He was born on 14 December 1862. He received the Dominican habit at Santo Domingo Convent in Ocaña, Spain, on 5 December 1880, at the age of 18. He professed his simple vows also in Ocaña on 11 December 1881 and his solemn vows at Santo Tomás Convent in Ávila, Spain, on 14 December 1884. By the time he arrived in Manila, he had completed three years of Philosophy studies (1881-1884) and another three years of Theology studies (1884-1887). On 24 September 1887, he was ordained a priest in Manila at the age of 25.

The following year, he was assigned to Cauayan, Isabela, on 26 April 1888, where he stayed for almost two years. In 1890, he was transferred to Ilagan, Isabela. On 27 June 1891, he was named the vicar of the locality (Vicario de Santa María de Luzón). [NB: Vicarios led mission stations.] While in Ilagan, he was captured by the Tagalog revolutionary forces in September 1898 during the Philippine Revolution. He was tortured and endured two bouts of blows with vines, leaving him half-crippled. After fifteen months of harsh captivity, during which he faced many hardships and privations, he was able to return to Manila.

After three years of recuperation and introspection at Santo Domingo Convent in Intramuros, he voluntarily offered himself to resume ministry in Batanes, where he tirelessly and successfully preached the Good News for 37 years (1903-1940), defying the sea and the winds. Regardless of the dangers he faced, he provided for the spiritual and temporal well-being of the islanders who sought his help. For many years, he served as 'Vicario de Ivana' and later as 'Vicario Provincial' (1915-1918) of all Batanes.

In 1918, he was named 'Vicario de la Isla de Saptan' (now Sabtang), where he resided for almost 20 years. He contracted acute pneumonia and crossed the channel that separates Sabtang from Basco to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Shortly after, he died in Santo Domingo de Basco on 29 December 1940, “recibidos los santos sacramentos” (having received the holy sacraments). He was buried in the local cemetery, where his grave is still identified today. He was undoubtedly a great Dominican missionary and testified to the legacy of the Dominican missionaries who had come before him in the remote and isolated Batanes islands.

Sources:
Actas del Capitulo Provincial de la Provincia Dominicana del Ssmo. Rosario, año 1947.
US Philippine Commission (1899-1900), Report of the Philippine Commission to the President, Volume 3, pp. 68-70.

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REFLECTION: 

Aren't you amazed how the endeavors of a previously unknown Dominican missionary from a bygone era can touch our lives today? May we continue our present ministry and vocation with such enthusiasm, relying solely on God. May our ongoing love story influence and inspire others as we continue to offer our lives and preach the love of God. In our simple and humble ways, we might not even be aware of it, but the memory of what we have done may inspire others—maybe not today, but next week, or next month, or next year, next decade, next century... even after we have breathed our last in the service of the Lord and His Church. Keep on loving!