Macau Caritas founder dies

Spanish Jesuit, whose Cantonese name was “Luk Ngai,” also founded Casa Ricci

ucanews.com reporter, Macau
Macau
July 27, 2011

Catholic Church News Image of Macau Caritas founder dies

Jesuit Father Luis Ruiz Suarez (front left, in a wheelchair) (Photo: Casa Ricci Social Service)

Father Luis Ruiz Suarez, who dedicated his entire life to needy people in Macau and mainland China, died yesterday at the age of 97. The Spanish Jesuit, whose Cantonese name was “Luk Ngai,” was the founder of Caritas Macau.

Paul Pun Chi-meng, secretary general of Caritas Macau, remembered Father Ruiz’s selfless service, saying that “He was a pragmatic man. He never spread the Gospel with words, but I saw Jesus whenever I saw him.”

The obituary prepared by Caritas honored his lifelong contribution while urging people from all walks of life to emulate his spirit to serve the needy in the community.

Born in 1913, Father Ruiz joined the Jesuits in 1930. His missionary work in China began in 1941. It was interrupted by the Second Sino-Japanese War, and resumed after the war ended in 1945. When the Communists took control of China in 1949, he was imprisoned briefly and expelled from the country.

He was told by his Jesuit provincial to stay in Macau, at the time a Portuguese colony, to recover from typhoid, which he contracted in prison, but within a month he was already working with refugees.

Later he founded the Casa Ricci Social Service in Macau. It was later turned into Caritas Macau, which he began to operate in the 1970s and established five centers for the aged and for young men and women with mental disabilities.

He also enlisted the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne to help caring for the people with leprosy.

He began his service for people with leprosy in neighboring Guangdong province in 1984. Ten years later, this service had grown so much that he handed the Caritas operation back to Macau diocese.

He had helped more than 8,000 patients and their children in about 140 leprosaria in various Chinese provinces.

In 2005, Father Luis, in his 90s, accepted invitation from the Hunan provincial government to set up a caring center for HIV/AIDS patients.

Visit to leprosy home a moving experience for Catholics

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Michael Kelly SJ

Another of the greats of the Church in asia in the second half of the 20th Century has gone to his Maker who, I’m sure, will be very pleased to have him home. Luis extraordinary achievements in having China recognise the existence of and need to care for people with leprosy and HIV over 30 years following China’s re-engagement with the world are legendary.

I was disappointed to see missing in the tribute to Luis something he enjoyed talking about – his time in the 1940s as a Jesuit in Cuba which he loved and of his enduring regard for his outstanding student at the Jesuit college where he taught – Fidel Castro
Anna Ching

Rev. Luis Ruiz who served the needy in Macau and mainland China for over 60 years . He preached with the universal language, unconditional love. He would take off his sweater in cold winter and gave it to the homeless. His famous saying was “Don’t worry, God will show us the way and take care of the situation.” He insisted to pray every night no matter how tired he was from travelling to remote places. He was a devoted experienced Social Worker, a selfless Community leader who helped to provide the necessities to the refugees from Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam and nearby regions. He contributed to the social stability in Macau especially during the 1970s. We strongly support the plan to archive Rev. Luis Ruiz’s pictures, and stories as it is a major history of Macau. Dear Fr. Ruiz you have done so much to spread the meaning of love, you have been a good servant of God. We are so proud to say that we have known you. We thank God for giving you a peaceful journey to His side. We really miss you! In prayers,Anna & Mary Ching
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How fortunate am I to be able to get to know this saintly priest from Spain. Fr Ruiz, lived and breathed charity. He helped so many destitued Chinese in Macau and China. He would hug and embraced the severely infected lepers. He would zoom from orphanages to orphanages to provide love and support. The mentally handicapped, the patients with AIDS were his children. He had built schools, care centers, clinics all over the poorest regions in China. His heavy Spanish accented, Mandarin and Cantonese were universally understoon by all around him, because he only spoke the language of love. I cherished the time I was able to attend his church while I was growing up, to plan soccer with him, joined his choir, helped to serve the poor. What an honor it was. Of all the people I have met in my life, I would have to say Fr Ruiz is the brightest star I have ever seen. Rest, Dear Fr. Ruiz you have done so much to spread the meaning of love, you have been a good servant of God. I am so proud to say that I have known you. We thank God for giving you a peaceful journey to His side. We really miss you!

In Prayers,
Ed Ching
Miguel Tse

Fr. Ruiz is my #1 hero. Fr Ruiz told me in his 2007 letter that he met my only other hero in life Teilhard de Chardin in Peking in 1941. These 2 Jesuit heros have contributed immensely to humanity, science and theology. I grew up in Macau admiring Fr. Ruiz and I have continued to admire and support him from Canada. Fr. Ruiz’s love and humanity will continue to flow ….

Miguel Tse
Mary Samara-Wickrama

It was a privilege to have had Father Luis’s friendship and prayer support over many years and to have met hime on 2 occasions. He was truly “an instrument of peace” who reflected the light of Christ wherever he went. Mary Samara-Wickrama (Australia)